Change my Mind
by Xenowishes
Summary: A young boy discovers he can activate the IS. This should be a dream come true until he realizes how insane these death machines are. Forget being a pilot, he just wants to live in peace. Now his government is forcing him to attend IS Academy. With rogue IS units, mad scientists, and terrorists targeting the Academy, the boys have one job. Stay alive.
1. My new story

**Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos**

**The IS fanficiton site is full of stories with OC's but after years of reading them I wanted to join in as well. The series is a guilty pleasure of mine, and while it isn't one of the more popular anime it still holds a special place in my heart. I came up with ideas on how to stand out and with help from friends I've managed to begin writing. **

**Hope you all enjoy it**

**-Xenonwishes**

An IS soared in the sky, breaking through the atmosphere and reaching the expanse beyond Earth known as space. A machine used for warfare and sport was now being used to achieve the goal of space exploration

Inside the IS, the pilot looked around in awe at the black void filled with planets and stars spanning distances that could only be imagined.

"This is…. I'm really…. I can't believe I'm actually here!" From the white glow of the full moon to the blue pearl we call our Earth. His brown eyes couldn't look away from the sight all around him. "Being up here takes beauty to a whole new level!" His gaze was mesmerized on the Earth. Seeing the water and landmasses form the continent with a starry background from space felt so different than just seeing it from a picture in a textbook. He could've started at it for hours if he had the time.

"I know you wanted to be an astronaut, someday right Jayden?" A female voiced spoke out from his communicator, waking him up from his trance "So tell me, how does it feel to be living the dream?"

They say in space, no one can hear you scream, but if you were up there, you'd hear the squeal of one very happy teen. The squeal of what sounded like coming from a little girl in a candy shop was his only reply.

"You're that excited huh?"

"Jayden I'm really happy for you getting to live your dream, but in case you forgot I'd like to point out the giant elephant in the room!" A different female voice spoke out through the communicator. This one sounding panicked. "The one that we need to address IMMEDIATELY".

He sighed, remembering that there was something he had to take care of. "Right I'm on it." He reluctantly turned away from the world to the matter at hand. A large space satellite floated in the distance, pointing at the Earth.

"Uhm…. Jayden…. wait." Another female voice spoke out to him, this one sounding concerned and worried. "I want you to promise me Jayden"

"Promise you what?"

"Jayden…" It spoke out again this time a little louder.

"What?" He felt the world shake around him, as the image of space began disappearing.

"Jayden"

"Jayden…"

"JAYDEN!"

/-/

"WAKE UP."

"GAH!" The teenager known as Jayden jolted himself up the car seat and banged his head. He rubbed the newly formed bump on his head. "Geez dad, could you be any gentler?"

"Sorry sport, I just didn't want you to daydream through what you've been waiting for all month. But if you'd rather live in a fantasy world I'd understand." He grinned.

"No no no!" Jayden panicked. Scurrying out of the car, he stood as tall as four feet and seven inches could be. He brushed his long light brown hair over his shoulders and patted down his clothes to try to look presentable. Even licking brushing down a cowlick in his hair for good measure. "I just can't believe you set this up! I mean how many kids can say their father got them into an IS research facility!?" His smile grew from ear to ear imagining what he would see. Weapons in the process of being made and maybe if he was lucky enough, he could see an actual IS up close.

"Well you've been asking for months now and with my recent promotion as a security guard, I was able to pull a few strings to set this up for you." He gave out a hearty laugh as his son showered him with praise and gratitude for the kind act. As they got closer to the main facility, someone who appeared to work at the facility waited at the door. It was an older man in his late 20's with a white lab coat and black square glasses. His posture was hunched, and the bags under his eyes showed he needed a few more hours of sleep. This was all topped off with his uncombed white hair, giving him the definite look of a scientist.

"Thank you for taking time out of your day to organize the tour for my son. Jayden, this is Prof. Gelimer, a friend of mine and the head of this IS research facility here." Jayden's father introduced.

"The pleasure is all mine Marc, I'm always happy to help a friend." The two adults shook hands firmly. "How's the wife been?"

Marc coughed into his hand while Jayden looked at the ground. Neither one wanted to answer that question.

"Still bad I see." Gelimer coughed into his hand, trying to settle the awkwardness, and think of another topic.

"Your daughter is quite adorable Marc, no wonder you're so fond of her. Although Jayden is quite the unusual name for a girl." Said 'daughter' clenched their fists and growled.

"I'M A BOY!" The boy yelled out. The two adults took a step back from his outburst.

"Really!? Huh, could have fooled me" The professor admitted.

"Did you not tell him I was a boy!?" Jayden glared at his father.

"That may be my fault; I never specified his gender. Jayden here gets mistaken for a girl often. If you ask me, I think it's cause of his long hair". His father said, patting Jayden's shoulder to calm him down, ceasing his son's growling. Gelimer made a mental note not to make that mistake again.

"My apologies Jayden. I didn't think any boys at your age had an interest in the field of IS. so, what makes you so interested in the field of IS?"

Now that he cooled off, Jayden replied peacefully. "I've had a huge interest in the IS sport field for a long time, even though I can't use an IS. Seeing them go head to head in a fight is the coolest."

The Infinite Stratos (Usually referred to as IS) is an advanced exo-suit developed by Tabane Shinonono. Originally developed for space exploration, but due to humanity's desire for conflict, the IS never came out as a voyager, but instead came out as a powerful weapon. With the ability to fly, carry weapons, and protect the user with a barrier, it was deemed without a doubt the strongest weapon on Earth. A single IS was powerful enough to neutralize the threat of over 2,000 missiles launched at Japan.

There was only one problem with the IS. The IS could only be used by women. Call it bizarre but the powerful machine wouldn't activate when a man tried to use it. This meant that only females could become pilots of the Infinite Stratos. As such, the dynamics of the world had changed to where women were the dominant gender.

"It's so amazing to think about the feats and power they can show off. If possible, maybe they can be used in daily job position like deliveries or putting out fires. I'm here because I want to see it in person if I can." His eyes sparkled with a passion as he talked about the many uses of the Infinite Stratos to the professor.

"Or maybe you just wanted to ogle the girls in their IS outfits" His father chimed in.

"DAD!"

The two adults shared a laugh. Jayden tried to hide his blushing face.

"Although I must admit, when people talk about the Infinite Stratos, it's always for the violence and or sport, you're the first I've ever heard talk about its non-combat capabilities. Perhaps you aren't as ill-informed as I originally thought. Then surely you must have heard of Gelimer Brighton." His smile grew wide.

"Wait? Gelimer… Brighton?" Jayden asked.

"That would be me, yes." The man pointed at himself

"The actual Gelimer Brighton! Top IS developer in North America and famed researcher for many breakthroughs in IS weaponry and theories!?" His eyes shined.

"You… you actually know me!". He raised a hand to his mouth in shock. It seemed like he wasn't recognized often despite his accomplishments. His smile grew even more. "Jayden, you just made my good-list. Consider yourself one of the privileged few".

"My dad said you worked here, but I thought he was just messing with me. You're the top IS developer in America, second only to Tabane herself in all of IS research."

"Yes… that's me." Gelimer gritted his teeth as he looked like he was in pain. He did his best to force a smile while his right eye twitched unnaturally. "Do your best to not say that ever again. For everyone's sake of course." He did his best to laugh to shake it off.

Jayden's father nudged his son with his shoulder. "Icx-nay on the Abane-Tay". He whispered to him in Pig-Latin.

"Huh? Come on dad, you know I don't speak Japanese".

"Well, you have a good time Jayden, I'll see you later. Make sure you listen to Prof. Gelimer." His father waved goodbye as he headed inside. Before Jayden could follow, Gelimer blocked his path, placing his arm in front of him.

"Now Jayden, before I let you enter, we need to go over a few ground rules Jayden." Gelimer bent over staring at him eye to eye.

"First, do not touch anything. Second, you only go where I say you can go. Third, no use of digital devices for video recording and photography. Speaking of such" The professor reached into both of Jayden's pants pockets pulling out an I-Phone from the left one.

"Hey! You could have just asked you know."

"May I have your phone for the duration of the tour?" Gelimer pointlessly asked.

"You already have it."

"Thank you." Jayden gave the scientist the evil-eye. "Don't worry, I'll return this when we conclude our tour. No hard feelings, but I can't risk private information being leaked. Finally, and most importantly. Don't. Touch. Anything." He emphasized each word with a finger poking Jayden's chest.

"You already said that"

"All the better so you don't forget it. Just follow these rules and we'll have no problems." Gelimer said. "Do you understand?"

"Yes sir, I'll behave myself".

"All right, let's go" Gelimer announced.

"Out of my way" A woman in a US military outfit wearing black shades pushed Jayden aside, knocking him onto his butt.

"Hey!" Jayden yelled. He watched her ponytail swish side to side as she ignored him, picking up her pace once she got inside.

"Good morning Irene." Gelimer called out to her. The woman presumed to be Irene didn't give any reply and walked until she was out of sight. "Forgive her, she keeps to herself a lot, but I swear she's a hard worker"

"But she-".

Gelimer raised an eyebrow. "Do you wish to file a complaint at H.R? We can spend the day there instead of touring the facility."

"Never mind, can I see the cool stuff now?

"Yes, yes you may, lets commence the tour." He led Jayden into the facility. With Gelimer taking the lead, the boy followed along for a behind-the-scenes look at the development of the IS. His hands shook about with excitement for the tech he would see.

/-/

Jayden followed Prof. Gelimer through many of facilities located in the IS research development center. So many people had gathered in one place to create the machinery, weapons, and other devices that future pilots may one day use. The place was full of developments like the IS design stations where the outer appearance of IS's were designed and the finance department where budgets were created and approved for certain facilities to use. Not to mention the place itself was massive as it was about the size of a sports stadium. Gelimer lead Jayden through the building making sure to show every important room that he could think of.

"And here we have our weapons development lab, where we create and test in theory future weapons to modify IS units." He led Jayden over to a computer screen where a digital IS was shooting a multi-barrage gun at a target. The target of the barrage was reduced to pixelated dust as numbers flooded the screen displaying results of the simulation. "A weapon like that could tear through a person like a hot knife through butter".

"Sounds deadly." Jayden remarked. "But if you wanted accurate results, why not just build the weapon and try it out in a real-life scenario?"

"That would be the best action to gather data, however it would take large amounts of time and money to create the test while using our programs, we can input the variables and get at the very least, close to the same data we would get otherwise."

"So, it's to save money?" Jayden guessed.

Gelimer snapped his finger. "Bingo. While we have funding we're not made of money. So, it's best to test our weapons and ideas with digital simulations. We can't just build the weapon, test it, and keep taking it apart over and over"

"Speaking of weapons, what about energy-based weapons? Like lasers, plasma cannons, and particle beams. The kinds of weapons you find in anime." Jayden looked excited, hoping to see a futuristic weapon.

"We don't have any of those here, and in terms of practically they're less useful then standard weapons. Lasers and such will need a power source to draw the energy from to work and can bring strain upon the IS if too many are used or if something went wrong." Gelimer explained.

"It would've been cool though" Jayden sighed.

"Oh no doubt about it, I believe it would be as you kids say, "totally rad". Gelimer made air quotes around his lingo.

"No. We don't." Jayden shook his head. "What about an IS unit, do you think I could try one out?"

"No."

"What! Why not?

"Jayden, you're a nice boy and I've grown fond of you over the past few hours, but I'm not going to spend the time nor resources so you can touch an IS. I don't need you getting hurt or confirming what I already know."

"But maybe I can pilot an IS-. "

"Yeah, and maybe I can find a genie in a lamp to wish for the fame I deserve" Gelimer cut him off. "But we all don't get what we want."

"Just give me a chance. Please"

"Hmm Let me think… no". Gelimer replied stoically. "And that's the last we'll discuss of this.".

"It's not fair" Jayden mumbled.

"Life isn't fair kid, it's something we all have to accept. That's the last we'll talk about this. Come along now." Jayden refused to budge, clenching his fists although he couldn't tell if he was angry or sad hearing Gelimer's words.

"Look Jayden, I understand you want to get involved with the IS but piloting just isn't an option for men. There are other professions that can be just as rewarding and honorable. Like a mechanic or a researcher. I know it's not the same but it's a respectable profession. Come along Jayden the tour isn't over just yet".

The two continued through the building as Gelimer talked about the history of the facility and his recent accomplishments. Jayden followed along, dragging his feet while nodding to whatever the professor said. He knew he couldn't pilot an IS but until he tried there was always a chance…. Right? The hallways seemed to blend into one another with walls, windows, giant strange metal door, signs, wait a minute…

"Hey Gelimer, what's this place?" Jayden asked, pointing at the giant strange metal door. It looked much more fortified compared to other areas Jayden had seen so far. The door looked reinforced and there appeared to be a keycard slider to open it up. It seemed like the only way to crack it open was with a keycard.

"This area is under the jurisdiction of yours truly"

"It must be important then." He tried opening the door, but it locked tight. It wouldn't budge as all and the lights around the door glowed red. "So, what's in it?"

"That's classified".

"Not even a little hint"

"Let's just say it will change the world". Gelimer smirked.

"Oh, come on! You can't just say something like _"This will change the world"_ and leave me on a cliffhanger. I'm going to be thinking about this all day. You have to tell me, pretty please?" He got on his knees and grabbed onto Gelimer's lab coat to beg.

The man closed his eyes as though he was considering it.

"Only the number one scientist could have something truly amazing in the works, right?" He cupped his hands together, pleading to hear secrets. "I won't tell anyone, I swear!"

"Well…Ah what the heck, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you a little bit. But what I'm about to tell you doesn't reach anyone else's ears understand?" Jayden made a motion to seal his lips and threw away what seemed to be an imaginary key. "Behind this door is a new type of IS prototype. With third generation models rising in popularity, I've developed my own IS to allow us to showcase America's might. Best of all, it was done by yours truly from start to finish. However, it still has a lot of tests and updates that need to be performed but give or take a few years and the world will recognize me as the greatest IS inventor. Who's a poor-man's knock off now Tabane? GAHAHAHA" He laughed out that last bit to the heavens, declaring it to wherever Tabane was.

Gelimer laughed wildly as Jayden stood there. The professor may be a little off, but the man knew how to draw someone's attention. Gelimer reached into his pocket, taking out what appeared to be a keycard. He spun it around on his finger for added flare. It was probably the keycard one needed to open the door.

"So about me seeing it…" Jayden asked.

"GAH-HAHAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed even harder, stumbling about as he tried to keep himself standing.

"Oh, heck no. Sorry kid, but that area is off limits. Please understand, I can't take any risks or leaks getting out."

Jayden folded his arms and pouted. He was getting a chance for a behind the scenes look at an IS research facility, but it was lacking the actual IS.

"Now then." Gelimer said. "Next up on the tour is- "

Suddenly the facility shook as a loud explosion went off in the distance, immediately red lights flashed throughout the facility while a warning alarm went off all throughout the building.

Jayden covered his ears as an alarm rang loudly throughout the building. Meanwhile Gelimer pulled out a phone from his lab coat. He scrolled through his device to check on something before putting it away.

"Son of a bitch. Ok Jayden here's the rundown, somethings gone wrong and I need to go check on it, that's all you need to know. Just… stay safe and go hide somewhere, I'll send security to look for you once things have settled down. Don't do anything stupid" With that explanation he ran off, muttering some curses under his breath.

Jayden watched as he ran off and began thinking of a place to hide. "the bathroom is a good place as any" Before he took a step, he noticed what appeared to be a card on the floor. Upon examination it was the same card Gelimer spun around earlier when talking about the big metal door. He must have dropped it from the sudden explosion making him lose focus. Jayden looked at the door, then back to the keycard and repeated the process a few more times. Jayden swore he could hear the door whisper his name, tempting him to open it. He did need a place to hide and where better to hide than behind a big metal door?

One swipe later and the locks on the door unlocked itself.

/-/

The room beyond the metal door was 25 feet by 40 feet, containing a computer with multiple monitors, a chair, and a large curtain that hid a section of the area. It was dimly lit inside this secret area with the only lights coming from the light bulbs on the ceiling. They flickered enough that they should've been changed a long time ago. Jayden steadily moved deeper inside, stepping over papers scrambled about on the floor, and a mess of empty bags of snack.

He stepped over some more trash and papers making his way to a dimly lit computer. An open word document was on the screen.

"Day XX, Project ISAI passed basic initiation tests. While movement was achieved, forms of combat couldn't be utilized without severe damage to systems." He continues to read out loud for a bit, losing interest in the process. "The process for activating…. Blah blah words words words…. Internal damage from overloading systems…. more words…. Scientific mumbo jumbo." The longer he read, the more his enthusiasm drained until he lost interest completely.

Having enough of this, Jayden got up. Bored of reading and turned the looked towards the curtain, it was the only clean thing in the room, maybe it was added recently. Upon the curtain was a small post-it note reading "DO NOT MOVE CURTAIN"

"I'm sure Mr. Gelimer wouldn't mind a little peak. Yeah, just a small one. Then I'll leave and no one will ever know" Curiosity overtaking him, Jayden parted the curtain.

What lie in front of him was a genuine IS unit. At least, that's what it looked like.

It was a grey colorless unit, yet it looked different from any of the IS's Jayden had ever seen before. The IS had along arm and leg length that looked to be heavily armored. There wasn't much anything blocking the joints or covering them making its limbs seem thin.

His breath taken away, Jayden leaned in for a closer look at the machine. For a brief instant it began to glow then fade back to normal as he approached it. He then moved himself further and back from the IS and it seemed to glow faintly whether he got close to it. Jayden's heartbeat quickened realizing it was himself that was causing the IS to respond.

For one last test, he moved his hand to place it upon the IS. The machine glowed with a faint glimmer then grew brighter and brighter, the same glow that occurred when one was activating an IS.

"What are you doing here?"

Jayden shrieked, turning around he pulled his hand back and the glowing dimmed. Behind him was a woman in a military uniform wearing dark shades. In fact, it was the same person that knocked over Jayden outside the facility. She walked towards him with a quiet demeanor.

He gulped, realizing what trouble he was in for going somewhere he wasn't supposed to go.

"I'm here to…. uh…. Clean the lab for the professor?"

"You shouldn't be in here little girl." She looked over the IS, taking note of its design and lack of parts. It would need more time to be worked on to be finished.

"Hey I'm a boy" Jayden glared. This happened so many times, but it always hurt his male pride to be called a woman.

"What?" She bent over to take a closer look at his face. "That's impossible, you're activating an IS. you can't be male. Are you a boyish looking girl?" She studied his face, if he was telling the truth about his gender. "No. How are you activating an IS?"

"I don't know. It just started glowing when I touched it. Is that supposed to happen when a guy touch one?"

"I take it this is your first time seeing one up close?" "This appears to be a custom-made IS, however it is missing a lot of components. No thrusters,"

"It's not even painted." Jayden added in.

"Ten out ten for observation." She rolled her eyes and looked over the IS once again. "Doesn't seem worth it right now, it needs to be developed further before it's worth it".

"huh?"

"Never mind. It wasn't important"

"YOU!"

A familiar voice yelled behind them. Gelimer stomped forward with his fists balled up all the while glaring at Jayden.

"I set up a nice little tour just for you and showed you the latest in IS tech America has to offer. All I asked were to follow a few rules and to not enter a specific room. And where do you go?" Gelimer cut him off before even giving him a chance to reply. "THE ONE PLACE I TELL YOU NOT TO GO!"

"But Prof Gel- "

"SHUT IT. Do I even want to know which stupid thought you had that made you think this was a good idea? DO I?" The professor clenched his fists as they shook.

Jayden was about to reply.

"THAT WAS RHETORICAL YOU IDIOT! Gods forbid, if you ruined what I've been working on, I swear I will make you regret ever existing". He grabbed the collar of Jayden's shirt, lifting him up a few inches. Jayden appeared too frightened to speak while the professor listed threat after threat.

"Prof. Gelimer I was the one who brought him in here." Both men turned towards the female military personal. "With the alarms going on, I thought it would be best to bring him in here due to the labs fire suppression system. It was the safest place for him to be given the current situation." The professor looked to be buying her lie.

"Jayden, step outside for a moment, I need to have a chat". He released his collar. Jayden immediately ran out leaving the two adults alone.

"You didn't see what happened did you professor?" She asked.

"I Can't say I did, I ran over to investigate the alarms and the explosion. Thankfully no one was hurt, and things are under control. Still, the matter is someone tried to attack this facility. I'm not sure why but we've got security looking into that. I'll be joining them shortly to see what they've learned".

Gelimer was about to leave before she stopped him.

"Actually professor, there is another matter I need to bring to your attention. It's about the child that you yelled at. Specifically, about what he just did".

He slammed his palm into his face, resisting the urge to do something very illegal to Jayden. "What else did he do? I swear if he broke something…."

As she explained in detail what happened, Gelimer's eyes widened and a smile crept onto his face.

/-/

"Keep calm Jayden, just keep calm. I'm sure everything will be ok in the end."

Jayden paced back and forth across the hallway outside the door. He was sweating as he was trying and failing to not freak out.

"So, I did break the rules by going in there and I did move the curtain. but I'm sure they won't punish me too bad. I mean I'm only 13. I'm a minor so I think they can't send me to jail. Maybe a court of law will-

Jayden froze.

"Oh, who am I kidding? This is a government owned facility; that means these guys are the law!" Hyperventilating, he leaned against a wall to steady himself. "They'll probably hold a mock trial because they have to when they already know I'm guilty. Then there going to lock me away forever or make me disappear to keep their secrets. Just like in those movies Oh no! Does this mean my dad will get fired to? And what about my life afterwards, this means I'll have a criminal record"

He imagined scenario after scenario that only got worse as his imagination went wild. He frantically looked for a way out, he had to escape before Gelimer wanted to talk.

"YOU!"

Too late.

Gelimer stormed up to Jayden, once again grabbing him by his shirt collar.

"I'm so sorry, please don't arrest or kill me! I have too much to live for!". Jayden begged. He began to cry out tears as snot began to leak down his nose.

"Kill you? Why would I? Never mind. Come with me." He pulled him along back to the lab as the boy continued spouting out apologies and pleas for mercy. "Do the thing you did earlier" Gelimer ordered.

"Disobeying you?

Gelimer resisted the urge to face-palm.

"IS. Touch. Now."

Jayden once again moved his palm, resting it on the IS. At first it glowed faintly then brightened over time to where it glowed as though one were activating an IS. Gelimer began chuckling then it grew into laughter.

"Um…. Are you all right Prof. Gelimer?

His laughter grew more maniacal.

"Oh, I'm better than okay! I've done it, I've done it! Not only is my new IS type nearing completion but I've managed to find a pilot that's also a male. Just think of the press coverage and attention I'll get for this! I should thank the gods for this achievement. No what am I saying? I should be thanking me! Talk shows, textbooks, medals of honor! Oh, I can see it now." He continued his self-praise and gloating and didn't show any signs of stopping.

"Thank you for covering me…." Jayden approached the woman "Uhm… I don't remember your name"

"Call me Irene." She held out her hand

"My name is Jayden. It's nice to meet you Irene". The two shook hands. Meanwhile Gelimer continued to gloat now talking something about the pinnacle of perfection and more about becoming number one. This continued for a few more minutes and he didn't show any signs of stopping.

"Does he always do that?" Jayden asked Irene while he watched Gelimer pointed to the roof, continuing his rant on how he was the greatest

"Only when he's in a good mood."

"You!" Gelimer pointed his index finger at Irene. "You've just been promoted to my new assistant".

"I normally interview my new assistants before I officially hire them. However, I have a lot more work to do now so let's make this quick." *He pulled out some cards from a drawer in his deck and cleared his throat. "Hello, I'm Gelimer. What's your name? Where are you from? What are your skills? Wow, that might be impressive". He spoke faster and faster trying to rush through it, dropping the cards as he finished reading off them. "Question, question question… and thank you. Congratulations, you're now promoted to be new my assistant Irene."

"My, what big shoes to fill. I will do my best to meet your expectations." She gave a bow, accepting her promotion.

"I look forward to it. Now Jayden, this is a lot of information to take in and I know you must still be in shock"

"Actually, I feel perfectly fine! Now if you excuse me, I'm going to take this out for a test drive" Gelimer and Irene each clamped a hand on Jayden's shoulder.

"Hold on there speedy, that IS is still in development and isn't ready for testing" Gelimer walked in front of Jayden. "It's good you want to get started right away, but you have to learn how to crawl before you can walk".

"Then let me get in and let's get started". Another hand clamped down on his shoulder keeping him in place, this time it was from Irene.

"Do you know about thing about the IS outside of sporting?" Irene asked him. "How it works, weapon types, the components, absolute defense, the forms of an IS?" Jayden was more and more confused as she listed topic after topic. "Do you even know how an IS takes flight?".

The look on his face told them he didn't.

"I'll take that look on your face as a no" Gelimer answered. "Fear not. I believe I can help you. How would you like to run some tests with me? We can teach you all you need to know about the IS and you'll be able to test-fly my latest invention. What do you say Jayden?"

"I'm in!"

This was going to be so awesome!

/-/

This was so boring.

"B… Y…. G…. no wait that's a J."

Jayden read out loud the letters on an eye chart about 20 feet away while Irene covered one of Jayden's eyes.

"Actually, that last one was an S." Gelimer scribbled down on his clipboard. "I've seen enough, it's safe to assume your eyesight is average, you should have no problems with vision when piloting the IS."

Jayden perked up at the sound of the word "IS"

"Does that mean- "

"No Jayden, not yet but very soon" Gelimer answered.

Jayden groaned into his hands. Every time he asked if today was the day he could get inside the IS, leading to a no. That was always Gelimer's answer. For a month they did nothing but teach him through lectures and perform physical exams.

"Professor with all due respect, all we've done is perform basic tests on Jayden's physical health, mental health, and his synchronization rate with the IS." Irene chimed in. "Not to mention the physical-checkup".

Jayden shuddered at the memory and cupped his crotch. Gelimer wanted to be 120% sure Jayden was in fact a natural born male. This included interviews, background checks on family history, and a physical that got way too uncomfortable. In the end Gelimer was convinced Jayden was indeed a guy and not a girl in disguise.

Irene patted Jayden's shoulder to comfort him as recalled the horrid event. "Wouldn't it be more beneficial to have him pilot the IS for better data rather than use simulations?"

"That is true, however we have to be certain that he is in top form. Not to mention, the IS needs some more work before it is ready for a field test. I wouldn't want my specimen… I mean Pilot! To get hurt, now would I?"

"Could you repeat that?"

"No. And all I can say is we can begin the IS testing soon."

"I think you and I have different definitions on what "soon" means". Jayden got up, stretching his limbs. "So that was the last test today?"

"That's right." Gelimer confirmed. "I'll update your health physical and get things ready for tomorrow. Not to give any spoilers but…. I hope you like running and electrodes. "Translation. No IS tomorrow.

"woo-hoo" Jayden gave a mock cheer.

Saying his goodbye's Jayden headed out. Having finished earlier than usual and his father out on business, there was some time to kill before he could be picked up.

"Jayden!" Irene called out, catching up to him.

"Oh, hi there Ms. Irene, dis you need something?"

"I told you, you can just call me Irene. Ms. Irene is too formal. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out for a bit?"

"Hang out? Sure, is there anything here to do for fun?"

"You only saw the work facilities, here right?"

Jayden nodded. From his last tour, all Gelimer showed him were the offices, and the research facilities.

"Just follow me". Irene smiled.

/-/

"I can't believe the military has a golf course and virtual reality headsets!" Jayden recalled the activities he did with Irene today.

"Contrary to popular belief, the military isn't all work and no play. Even soldiers and scientists need to relax and unwind." The two had spent the rest of the day with Irene showing Jayden the non-research facilities. They played some games and hung out to pass the time. She even offered to take him out for dinner once they were finished.

"Are you sure it's okay for someone like me to be here though?" The restaurant they were at appeared to be high class. To say he was under-dressed was an understatement. Every guest here was in formal wear and yet here he was wearing a long sleeve t-shirt and jeans.

"Don't worry about that, instead worry about what you're going to order" She handed him a menu. Jayden almost choked when he saw the prices of everything. A meal here could buy him a couple months' worth of lunches at school. Was the food made of diamonds here?

"I think I'll just get some water" Irene frowned at his choice.

"You're a growing boy Jayden you need to eat. Don't think about the prices. Everything is on me tonight". Irene said.

"Still…." Jayden groaned as he looked at all the numbers next to the dollar signs.

"How about this? I'll pay for your meal and you can tell me a little about yourself. We've worked together for quite a while and I know so little about you."

"Well when you put it like that how can I say no?"

The two placed their orders and chatted amongst themselves. Jayden telling Irene mostly about his life at school and what he did before working with her and Gelimer. He seemed too eager to talk that Irene had to ask him to slow down a few times just so she could keep up with what he was saying.

"So, your biggest dream is to go to outer space?" Irene asked. Jayden nodded.

"Uh-huh, I want go past the clouds and see what's out there." He pointed out a window towards a cloud.

"And that dream hasn't changed with your IS training?"

He scratched the back of his head. "It's like a second big dream. Don't get me wrong I love the IS. Probably more so when a certain someone will let me pilot it for real. The boy pouted.

"I'm sure it won't be much longer Jayden".

"You're like my best friend Irene"

"Best friend? What about anyone else at school. You go to an all-male school, right? Don't you socialize?

Jayden groaned. "I don't get taken seriously by people at school. It's because I have to look up to everyone."

Irene seemed confused. Something wasn't adding up. "But you said you're in your second year of middle school. What about the first years? They don't respect you?"

"No. I literally look up to everyone" He got out of his chair and stood up. With a height of 55 inches, he wasn't exactly seeing eye to eye with most people his age" Irene let out a chuckle

"I'm sure you'll grow up someday". She reached over, ruffling his light brown hair. "Until then enjoy being tiny and cute Jayden."

The boy groaned as he sat back down. Next Christmas he was wishing to Santa for height. "I swear you're almost as bad as my parents."

"Speaking of your parents how have they been?"

Jayden turned away.

"Gelimer mentioned to me that it was a sensitive subject for you and your father. If you want to talk, I'll listen."

Jayden looked at her for a moment then back to the ground.

"Do you hate your parents?" Irene asked.

"No! Of course not." He shook his head wildly. "It's just… I don't think they love each other and I'm in the middle of it."

"Is their relationship in a rough patch?"

"No… It's been like this for a few years…" He recalled how his parents had been avoiding one another. Sometimes he felt like they stayed together only for his sake. He shuffled about in his chair not making eye contact with her.

"We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to." She reached over, rubbing his head again trying to cheer him up. "I'm sorry if I brought up any bad memories".

Before he could answer a waitress arrived bringing their meals on a cart. She smiled at Irene while trying her best to ignore the underdressed boy in the fine dining establishment.

"Oh good! The food's here!" He began digging in, eager to get out of this conservation. Seeing how uncomfortable he was, Irene decided to drop the topic, letting him eat in silence. "You're a good boy Jayden. Don't forget that"

He tried to reply with his mouth full, then swallowed enough so he could speak. "I won't. And I meant what I said, you're my best friend Irene." He wiped his meal off his mouth with a napkin then smiled at her.

She smiled back at him; everything was coming together all to easily.

/-/

A month had passed with Jayden performing experiments with Gelimer and Irene. Every day after school Jayden would be picked up by Irene to take him to the IS research facility. They continued testing his reactions with the IS unit while also teaching him the fundamental basics about the IS. While Jayden was showing results Gelimer still refused to let him pilot the IS, citing it wasn't ready yet and that it would be soon. Until…

"You really mean it! I'm actually going to pilot the IS today!" Jayden bounced in the car seat in the front of a jeep. Next to him in the driver's seat Irene drove the vehicle through some rocky terrain, smiling quite wider than usual.

After weeks of IS preparation training, Irene had announced today would be the first field test training.

"Today we'll be testing your flight skills as well seeing how well your IS can perform"

"Shouldn't we do that in a safer place in case something goes wrong?"

"Don't you worry about that, we have precautions in place, and we don't want anything getting destroyed nor anyone getting hurt. Not that I don't trust you… but better safe than sorry and all that."

"Speaking of Doc, where is he?" It was only the two of them in the vehicle. When it came to the IS, Gelimer refused to even let it leave his sight. "Shouldn't he want to be here to see this and take notes on that clipboard of his?"

"Prof. Gelimer is…. Busy now. He will be joining us later."

"Busy with what? "

Irene grinded her teeth as she continued to answer all of Jayden's questions. Her nails dug into the wheel as she reached the limits of her patience.

"If you would rather play 20 questions, I can take us back to the facility and reschedule this for another day". That seemed to shut him up.

"I guess it doesn't matter. What does is that I finally get to try my IS out".

"Yes, we can finally see it in action." Irene smiled.

They drove until arrived in the middle of an open rocky field. It was deserted with no one presumably around for miles.

"This spot will do for testing. Are you ready for your IS Jayden?" Irene asked, stepping out of the jeep.

"I've been ready for monthes!" He replied, looking all over. "So…. Where is it?"

"Are you familiar with the stand-by form of an IS?"

"Stand-by form?" He remembered Gelimer going over it with him, but he couldn't remember exactly what it was.

"When an IS isn't in use, it can take the form of a small object for easier transportation." Irene explained, as Jayden nodded along. "Most IS's take the form of small trinket or decoration. Okay., hold out your hand" Jayden did as instructed. Irene got down on one knee pulling out what a golden ring from her pocket. Taking his hand, she put the ring on his ring finger. "I now pronounce you, IS Pilot."

Jayden stared dumbfounded at his finger.

"What the heck is this?"

"That item is known as a ring. The stand-by form of your IS"

"I see that, so what the heck is this?

"Your IS. In standby form" Irene repeated. It was like she was saying words but in a way that didn't make sense to him. A few seconds later he finally put it all together.

"A ring! My IS is a ring!". Jayden's mouth hung down trying to piece together what his eyes were seeing. A piece of jewelry usually worn by women was the stand-by form for his IS unit. Irene was doing her best to contain her laughter and failing at that. "Why the heck is it a ring? Why did Gelimer design it like this? I want a new one!"

Irene laughed out loud, clutching her hip as she tried to remain standing.

"Don't be like that" Irene managed to speak out in-between giggles. "I'm sorry, I'm trying not to laugh but…." She bent over with one knee on the ground, the same position one would assume when proposing another's hand in marriage. "If the IS training doesn't work out, I'm sure you'd make a great house husband.

Her laughter continued while Jayden wanted to do nothing more than crawl in a hole and hide forever.

"All right." She wiped a tear from her eye. "Now let's start with deploying your IS Unit. You remember how to do that right?"

"Yup. Concentrate and focus only on your IS. It also helps if you call out your IS's name". Jayden spoke what Gelimer had instructed him on. "But just to be sure…. What's its name again?"

"Have you not been paying attention?" Irene sighed. "Just a little longer" she told herself. "The name of your unit is

"Edel Gleam? Jayden looked unsatisfied. "What does that mean?" He tried to think of what it could stand for. A foreign language? A name of something historic or famous?

Irene shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't hate it but I kind of wanted to name the IS."

"Name it? What did you have in mind?"

"Nova Union. Even though I can be an IS pilot, I still want to go to space someday. So, I wanted to name it space related to remind me of that dream, so I never forget it."

"We can Bring it up with Gelimer later, no promises but you may be able to convince him to change the name of the IS. Now then, lets begin the test deployment"

Jayden into position, covering his ring finger with his left hand. "Come out, Nova Union!"

A bright glow enveloped Jayden as he felt the metal of the IS appear and clamped onto his body. The legs were colored a teal green in the front and white in the back, with the sides of them appearing heavily armored. The arms were thin and decently long. They were colored yellow and cyan with the hands being all black. A greenish metal bar clamped over Jayden's chest, other than that there was nothing else on his body.

He stared speechless at his IS. He moved his arm and the IS moved along with him.

"I'm moving it! I'm really moving it!" He stumbled around the field trying to get use to walking.

"You should be able to check on the status of your IS, give it a try" She told him. Jayden followed her advice as he looked down at a holo-screen displaying the status of his IS, everything seemed normal according to the system.

"Hey, wait, where are the weapons?" He scrolled over to his weapon slots, his IS had two slots for use and both were empty.

"Perhaps they weren't installed yet" Irene gave her best explanation.

"Seriously! I was really looking forward to blowing up rocks and stuff." Jayden looked over the IS, while amazing as it was to be piloting a real IS, something just felt off. Like it wasn't complete. In addition to the arms and legs, there was usually some accessory part that was featured on the IS. Galaxia didn't have anything like that. Not to mention who would say an IS was ready without installing the weapons?

"Maybe we should ask Gelimer about this"

Irene panicked.

"He already told me to expect this, let's not waste his time".

Jayden seemed hesitant, things weren't adding up here.

"Hold on, a second, I think I found the problem" Irene called out. A holo-screen came out from her communication device as she typed on it. "Jayden, there appears to be something wrong with your IS, is everything all right?".

"What!?"

Jayden frantically looked over the status of his IS from his own holo-screen. The status screen listed everything as functional. He double checked to make sure but according to the IS, there were no damage or problems.

"Are you sure Irene? The IS seems fine to me."

"Then it could be an internal problem or a glitch perhaps". She paused for a moment. "Anyway, you better come over and let me take a look just to be safe."

Jayden didn't think much of it, Irene probably knew something that he didn't. He managed to descend himself back to the ground and returned his IS to its stand-by form. Jayden deactivated the IS, not accounting for his newfound height being lost with the IS vanishing, he fell on the ground, leaving a face plant on the dirt. Once he finished brushing the dirt off himself, he removed the ring and handed it over to Irene.

"Thank you" She pocketed the ring and her eyes narrowed on Jayden. "I must thank you Jayden. It's been a long time coming, but you've made this so much easier".

"Well I am getting pretty good at piloting an IS" Jayden blushed.

Without warning, Irene delivered a first onto Jayden's face. Punching him with enough force to send him onto the ground.

"What the heck was that for!?" He gripped the area she punched, trying to rub the impacted area.

"Shut up. I swear you're so annoying." She pulled out her pistol from the holster, pointing it at Jayden's face.

"I-Irene?" He raised his hands in the air out of fear. "What's going on?"

She made no reply

"Okay Irene you got me. Jokes over, ha ha ha-"

A bullet whizzed past Jayden's head burrowing itself into the ground behind him.

"Oops. My finger slipped. Test my patience again with your stupid bullcrap and I'll try aiming next time".

"You…." Jayden could barely think straight. This couldn't be happening. He pinched himself, trying to wake up from this nightmare. "You can't be-"

Irene was enveloped in a flash of light originating from the clip on her hair. An IS materialized onto her, it appeared to be a bulky unit in multiple shades of black with long extended arms. On the back of it were dual thrusters that resembled like a jetpack, yet it floated behind her. The outer armor was thing except for the arms which looked heavily fortified.

She floated above Jayden, blocking out part of the sun and enveloping Jayden in her shadow. Smiling menacingly at him. She flew towards him, reaching out her arm at him. Frozen in terror, Jayden couldn't do anything as the IS curled its fingers around him, grasping his body.

"An IS?!" Nothing was making sense. Why was Irene doing this? Where did she get an IS? Was he going to die? Too many questions, not enough answers. "You already have the IS. What more do you want from me?" He hyperventilated trying not to completely freak out. She lifted him up to her face, now seeing him eye to eye.

"Isn't it obvious? Why stop with just an IS when I can take a rare male pilot with me as a bonus. You'll make a nice little gift for my superiors."

Jayden tired with no success to shake himself from her grip. Here he was held in the fist of an IS by a person who not only had his IS, had her own IS on top of that, and worst of all, was his best friend at the IS facility. The person he trusted the most was crushing him in a giant fist getting ready to take off. Jayden tried to cry out, but nothing came from his mouth. He was too terrified to make a sound.

The next thing Jayden knew, the world sped by him as Irene carried him away.

**I don't have a beta reader so there may be some mistakes. Hopefully you all enjoyed this, it's my first work so I hope to improve upon it in the future. Let me know what you think in the reviews and if you spot any errors in grammar or spelling, let me know and I'll correct them. **

**Keep your wonder everybody, see you next time.**


	2. Fight for your Life

**After a long while, here is the second chapter of Change My Mind. I hope you all are getting ready for the holidays and finishing up any New Year Resolutions that we're made a year ago. I won't keep you waiting any longer, here's chapter two.**

It's amazing how one negative can trump a dozen positives.

For example, take Jayden's life. He had figured out he could pilot the Infinite Stratos. He's now working with the top IS researcher Gelimer and found a new friend in Irene. Things should be looking up. However, that all means nothing when so-called "friend" Irene kidnaps him and is taking him to who knows where.

Irene flew in her black IS carrying her additional passenger. She kept Jayden clenched in the fist of her IS, keeping a tight enough hold on him to make sure he stayed where he was. Her other arm was placed in front of him to block the wind pressure. She didn't want to bring back damaged goods.

At the speed they were going, Jayden could barely keep his eyes open. The wind pressure from the high-altitude and speed made it difficult to look ahead. Still, it was his first time flying with an IS…sort of. If it weren't for being kidnapped or the fear of never seeing his loved ones again, he may have been enjoying this.

After continuous flying for 20 minutes, she slowed down till she was hovering in the air, stretching out her limbs.

Now that she stopped, Jayden had a chance to speak. "Why are you doing this?"

She continued stretching, probably ignoring him.

"Where are we going?"

One again she pretended he didn't exist.

"What's going to happen to me?"

Irene's mouth twisted into a wicked smile as she had an idea. She acknowledged the boy by lifting him up to speak face to face.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. But… I've got a few guesses." Irene now dangled him with only a few fingers of her IS. "Maybe my superiors will dissect you and figure out why a boy like you can pilot the Infinite Stratos. Or maybe we'll sell you on the black market for a profit. You're sure to fetch a very pretty penny, that I'm sure of. If we don't take you apart, someone else will."

Jayden was shaking like a leaf imaging what his life would become.

"Although, if I could pick your fate, I'd keep you as my very own personal little servant. After all, I could use someone to polish my boots and call me mistress." She stared at Jayden as a lion would glare at a piece of meat. Jayden turned his head away, not wanting to meet her gaze. Not that it did much with his limited mobility in the hand of an IS. She stared into his eyes, grinning all the while.

She held him out turning him a bit, inspecting the features on his face and body. "You said you're twelve, right?"

"Thirteen." Jayden corrected.

"Aww, such a big boy. You're really growing up. So much so that I think it's time for you to…" He she held him outwards as far as she could, loosening her grip little by little.

He realized what she was going to do and pleaded for her to not do it.

"Leave the nest."

She released her grip.

Jayden fell through the sky as fast as gravity would allow him. He screamed as loud as he could while every limb flailed about as if trying to break the laws of reality and fly.

His Life flashed before his eyes as Jayden saw early childhood memories to his recent times at the IS research facility. Everything he did amounted to nothing in the end.

"Goodbye, world."

Jayden shut his eyes so he wouldn't see it coming. Jayden's body collided with something. It was hard and sturdy, yet it didn't feel like the ground. It was still a rough landing as he coughed up some blood upon collision. He opened his eyes and his vision was nothing but Irene's grinning sadistic face.

Her grin turned into a smirk, then a chuckle as it got louder. Pressing Jayden into her stomach she laughed out loud. "Oh man! I wish I recorded that." She laughed harder than Jayden has ever seen her laugh. "That look on your face was priceless. That settles it, I'm going to ask if I can keep you. We're going to have so much fun Jayden. For the rest of your days." She moved him to right hand. Keeping her grip on him with a tight hold. With her passenger in tow, she resumed her flight to wherever her destination was.

Jayden was doing his best to tell himself everything would be okay, that this would just be a phase and it would all get better. No matter what he told himself tears begin to run down his eyes as this was his life now. He wished for anyone or anything to save him.

A beeping noise started ringing out, coming from the holo-screen on the IS. The constant beeps got their attention.

"Shit"

Jayden wondered what was on the screen. Whatever it was showing, Irene wasn't happy about it.

Up ahead was what appeared to be another IS unit flying towards them. Jayden couldn't make out the details of this new IS pilot but judging from Irene's unhappy reaction she probably wasn't on her side.

Up ahead was what appeared to be another IS unit flying towards them. Jayden couldn't make out the details of this new IS pilot but judging from Irene's reaction it probably wasn't on her side.

The IS came to a halt a fair distance away from them. It was a white standard issue IS unit with a thin frame. The unit appeared to be a Fang Quake, the basic model for the United States. The pilot inside was a young woman in her early 20s with blue eyes and long blond wavy hair. She opened a communication channel to talk to Irene.

"I don't know who you are, so you're definitely not part of the U.S." She folded her arms, looking over the details of Irene's IS. She took note that it was a custom-made IS unit. I'd ask what you're doing but I can tell it isn't anything good. You'll have to come with me to get this sorted out."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, I have somewhere to be." Irene replied.

"That wasn't a request."

"And just who do you think you are to make me do that?"

"My name is Natasha Fairs, on behalf of the American IS military you're under arrest. Surrender yourself now or you will be shot down." She materialized a rifle and pointed it at Irene.

"Don't you know it's rude to interrupt when two people are spending time together? My new friend and I were talking about our future." She followed up by moving Jayden near her face, nuzzling her cheek against his. "And we've decided to run away together. Now if you be so kind as to get out of our way, that would be just lovely."

"A hostage!" Natasha's eyes widened.

While the IS had an absolute defense shield that protected the pilot in the IS, the same couldn't be said for the outside of it. Just one bullet could severely damage or kill the hostage if she fired aimlessly.

"As I said, why don't you ditch that weapon? We would want my little friend to get hurt, would we?" She squeezed her fist, making Jayden scream out in pain.

With reluctance, Natasha dematerialized her rifle. With her enemy having a human shield, Natasha's options were limited. She squinted to get a better look at who the person was.

It looked like the person in the fist of the IS was a child. A girl…. No despite the long hair, it was defiantly a boy… right? Natasha wasn't 100% sure on the kid's gender, but the child was defiantly frightened.

"Hey, little kid!" Natasha called out, getting Jayden's attention. "This looks like a scene from a video game doesn't it? A hero fighting a villain to save the lives of the innocent."

Jayden gave a small nod.

"I'm going to get you back safely. Don't worry." She wasn't sure how, but she knew she'd find a way eventually. "I promise you you'll get a happy ending as long as I'm standing." She gave him a smile, not that he could see it from that far away

Irene looked like she was about to throw up. "Spare me your story book endings."

Irene sped off with Natasha in pursuit. It seemed Natasha had the faster IS as she was slowly gaining on Irene. Natasha's IS unit had a higher top speed. Meanwhile Irene's IS was built for close quarters combat with a high armor frame and long arms for extended reach. However, for all that bulk, speed and mobility had to be sacrificed. If Irene wanted to get away, she'd have to slow Natasha down.

"Just buzz off, bitch!"

A machine gun materialized in Irene's free hand pointed straight at Natasha. She opened fired as Natasha was forced to dodge. Irene began flying backwards, keeping her aim on her target while trying to put distance between them. Natasha may have had the faster IS but if she could slow her down by forcing her to fly in a zig zag path, she may be able to put enough distance between them.

Jayden watched in amazement as Natasha dodged Irene's gunfire, diving through the air all while keeping up her current speed. Natasha was able to avoid her gunfire like a pro. This was like the battles Jayden saw on old videos of IS tournaments and like the video games he played. This was the thing that he had always wanted to see in person. For a few moments Jayden forgot about the peril he was in and kept his eyes glued on the fight in front of him.

"Piss off already!" Irene fired again.

Natasha hated to admit it but there didn't seem to be anything she could do. If she got too close, she wouldn't be able to dodge Irene's shots. Shooting back was out of the question with her using Jayden as a shield. She had sent out an S.O.S and although back up was on the way they wouldn't get here for a while. For now, she just had to keep up with the enemy.

The chased continued with neither side making much progress towards their goal. While the two pilots concentrated on one another, Jayden could only watch as they fought for his fate. He knew that the only reason Natasha wasn't fighting back was because he was in the way. He tried to come up with a way to help but every idea was either too stupid or unable to be pulled off. Except for one… It was a stupid plan, but it was better than doing nothing.

Jayden wiggled in her hand as though he were trying to escape Irene's grasp.

Irene noticed his attempt and tightened her grip. "We can play later brat; I need to focus on this pest."

He had to do something to draw Irene's focus off Natasha. He racked his brain for a solution and came up with one foolish, yet possible idea.

Irene noticed his attempt and tightened her grip. "We can play later brat; I need to focus on this pest."

"You won't get away with this so give yourself up." Jayden called out to Irene "Or… or…. or I'm going to have to stop you."

"You're gonna stop me? Have you not been paying attention to the situation you're in?" Irene snickered as she resumed her fire on Natasha.

"I mean it." He did his best to look as menacing as possible.

Irene glanced over at him. And laughed. A few seconds later she looked over at Jayden again while he was trying to look as menacing as a hostage could.

"Oh! you're serious?"

Irene laughed even harder.

She directed her attention onto Jayden, lifting him up to her face so they were seeing eye to eye. Just for the laughs, she decided to humor him. "And tell me, what can someone like you do to someone like me?"

Ptoo!

His reply was a glob of spit in his kidnapper's eye.

Irene screamed in disgust and shock, bringing an arm to her face on instinct to try to comfort it. The same arm that was holding Jayden. The boy tried to the first thing he could. One hand was dug into Irene's pocket while the rest of him dangled about as he held onto the moving IS for his life. His screams were overtaken by the wind force as he used everything, he had to keep his grip on Irene's pocket.

As the gunfire stopped, Natasha saw the child was dangling off of the pilot to hold on. Natasha immediately flew towards holding out her arms to catch him.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Irene got back her focus although her eye was still stinging a bit.

She quickly turned herself with a sharp right turn to block Natasha's charge leading to Natasha's IS crashing into her own. The force of the impact made Jayden lose his grip on Irene's pocket.

"NO!" Natasha yelled as she saw him fall.

Before she could react, Irene's IS grabbed her from behind, locking her in a tight bear hug. Natasha thrashed about trying to escape all while Irene squeezed tighter to keep her in place. No matter her struggles, Natasha's basic IS couldn't muster the strength to escape

"Screw the brat, I'll make do with just the IS." The IS was her main target, Jayden was just a bonus that she could take or leave.

At this point, she decided it was better to cut her losses. She increased her strength on Natasha's IS to take reduce its shield energy by squeezing immense pressure. All Natasha could do was watch the boy fall closer and closer to the ground.

For the second time today, Jayden was falling from the sky.

Now was the time to stay calm.

Somehow Jayden managed to not freak out. His eyes remained closed so he wouldn't freak about seeing the ground get closer. He was the prize after all, the thing that Irene went to the effort of stealing so she's practically bound to save him. If not her than certainly the other IS pilot who was fighting to save him. Any moment now, one of them would swoop down and catch him.

Any moment now….

Just to be sure he opened his eyes and looked up. Both IS's were up there. He couldn't make out what they were doing but both IS's were near one another with neither one moving much. More specifically they weren't flying down for him! Wasn't this the part where someone dives down to make a heroic save?

Now was the time to panic.

Jayden flailed his limbs, trying to learn to fly for his life. He screamed as loud as he could pleading for another miracle to save him. In his thrashing something brushed against his hand.

It was a ring. The same ring that was the stand-by form of the IS. Jayden grabbed the ring and inserted it onto his right index finger.

"Come on, activate! Please!"

He shook his hand about to get it to activate. Nope. It remained in the form of a ring. Jayden then tried squeezing the IS, while pleading for the IS to activate. The ground was getting closer and the IS was still a ring.

"Work you hunk of junk!" He shook his hand about, desperate enough to try anything.

"Work! Please work I beg you! You activated once so you can definitely do it again. How did I make you work the first time?" Jayden tried to recall what he did before Irene kidnapped him.

"_Keep calm, focus on the IS, and shout out its name. This will help a beginner like you summon your IS."_

Calming himself, Jayden focused entirely on his IS, placing his hands on his chest. He steadied his breathing and shouted out the name of his IS.

"**NOVA UNION!"**

A bright light enveloped Jayden just as he crashed into the ground.

Natasha continued to struggle to escape with no improvement. She couldn't even position her guns to fire at Irene in her position.

"Let me go! He's going to-!"

A large impact could be heard by both pilots.

"NO!" Natasha screamed in horror.

Irene looked down at the spot below, her view obstructed by the dust in a crater. She did feel slighty bad about what she had done, but this was her mission. "Wait a second…" There was no way a human body alone could cause that loud a crash.

A crater that could have not been caused by just a human body falling no matter how high. She glanced down at the pocket of her uniform where she placed the IS ring earlier. The same placed that Jayden grabbed. There was now a large tear in the pocket. Irene quickly put the pieces together. "You've to be kidding."

While she was distracted, Natasha activated the thrusters of her IS, catching Irene off guard to break out of her hold. With a spin kick she forced Irene back and dove down to where Jayden crashed. She landed near the impact hoping he would still be alive.

"Little boy, are you alive? Say something. Anything!"

As the dust settled, Natasha was able to make out what was beyond it.

"What the-?!"

There laid Jayden lying down in a crater inside an IS. He looked shaken up yet was still breathing.

Jayden groggily came to, groaning as almost felt the need to vomit. The feeling soon vanished once he realized he was feeling something which meant he hadn't kicked the bucket.

"I'm alive? I'M ALIVE!" Jayden cheered. The boy wept tears of joy from the feeling of cheating. "Take that world! Next time try a little harder if you want me dead." His chest was puffed out as he felt a sense of pride from overcoming death.

Natasha stood there dumbfounded. "An IS? Where did…why are you… What's going on?" The boy should at very least be in critical condition from a fall from the sky and here he now was inside an IS she swore he didn't have a few seconds ago, and here he was laughing about cheating death.

"GAHHHH!"

From above, Irene was dive bombing down aiming to bring down a large fist where Jayden was. Natasha grabbed Jayden's IS by its arm and pulled him out of the crater to get him away. Irene stuck the crater, leaving an even bigger impact in the ground.

Natasha had a lot of questions and no time for answers. The important thing was that the boy was alive, and she wanted to keep it that way.

"Kid you need to get out of here, it isn't safe." She helped Jayden up to his feet and turned to face her foe.

"But what about you?" Jayden asked.

"I'll be fine, I just need you to run away from here."

The boy nodded and started getting away from the area.

Irene flew out of the crater, going in for a punch on Natasha. The blond pilot ducked under Irene's fist and attacked with a light uppercut and following with mid-kick, forcing Irene to stagger back. Natasha checked on the boy only to find him much closer than she thought he would be. The boy was running away. Literally running in a mech suit that was designed for flight.

Natasha opened a communication channel to reach him. "Why are you running? Is there a problem with your IS?"

She got no response. She tried contacting him again and still got no response. Looks like he hadn't activated his communication system either. After firing another shot at Irene to force her back a bit, Natasha flew towards Jayden.

It only took a few seconds to catch her with her flight speed compared to his running speed. She got close enough, so she was in shouting distance.

"WHEN I SAID TO RUN AWAY, I DIDN'T MEAN THAT LITERALLY!" Natasha yelled out to him, "USE THE IS UNIT TO FLY AWAY!"

"I DON'T KNOW HOW!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW HOW?!"

"I MEAN I DON'T KNOW HOW! I CAN'T MAKE IT ANY SIMPLER!"

She flew in closer somewhat hovering alongside him, getting extremely close so she didn't have to yell.

"You mean the IS can't fly?"

Jayden shook his head.

"Do your IS have any weapons on it?"

Jayden shook his head again.

"What kind of IS has no flight capabilities or weapons?" She wondered out loud.

"I know right!?"

Their talk was cut short as Irene was flying back at them, and she didn't look happy.

She appeared to be going straight for Jayden only for Natasha to shoot her rifle. Irene was forced to stop her charge and used her large arms to shield her body. Natasha's shots weren't appearing to do a lot of damage, but they were slowing her down.

"Does the IS at least have shield energy left?" Natasha quickly asked.

Jayden checked the information on his IS holo screen, the number 274 was listed under the section labeled 'Shield Energy.'

"Yeah, I've got some of that."

"Perfect. Kid, I need you to just keep running. Put as much distance from her as you can." Natasha aimed another shot at the legs of Irene's IS and pulled the trigger,

Jayden opened his mouth to ask why.

"There's no time to explain! I need you to trust me, Please!"

Jayden nodded and started running faster. The physical exercise Gelimer put him through was finally paying off. It felt weird running in the IS as its systems gave him a 360-degree view. The IS was sending data to his brain that gave him vision in all directions, which let him know that Natasha was now flying above Jayden.

Irene unleashed a large scream of anger as she was forced to dodge Irene's attack. And flew straight at Jayden, readying a punch!

Jayden screamed and ran faster despite the little good it did him. It was like a middle schooler trying to outrun a speeding car. Just when Irene was in 100 feet of distance to Jayden, Natasha fired down a high-powered bullet from above, connecting with Irene and sending her tumbling to the ground.

Jayden looked up to see Natasha signaling him with a thumbs up.

They continued this tactic of hitting and running. It wasn't very effective, but it was working at keeping Irene away. Through this method, Natasha could aim freely, and Irene couldn't get close to Jayden.

While running, something was coming towards them. Up ahead Jayden could make out what appeared to be an IS up in the sky, in the direction he was running. It was flying ahead of Jayden and Natasha's current path and was moving in their direction. This IS was painted pure black. Whoever was piloting it had a dark visor on concealing her identity. The only physical details that could be seen were her white skin and long black hair.

"All right! Your back-up is here!" Jayden cheered, giving the unknown pilot a wave.

Natasha looked towards the new IS that arrived. None of her squadmates had an IS colored black as far as she knew. She watched as the mysterious pilot aimed her weapon at Jayden. It looked like a rocket launcher and she was aiming it at… Natasha's eyes grew wide.

"GET DOWN!" Natasha dived onto Jayden, pushing him out of the way while putting herself in the line of fire.

Jayden felt an intense pressure from behind pushing him forward to the ground just as an explosion occurred behind him. Natasha was sent flying back from the force of the explosion and rolled continuously on the ground. Once she ran out of momentum and her rolling ceased, she laid the ground motionless.

Jayden ran over to where Natasha stopped rolling, crouching by her side to check on her. "Are you all right?" He tried shaking her gently to get a response.

"Come on! Please get up!"

He looked up at the pilot who fired the rocket. He grabbed Natashia gun and began shooting at the black-haired pilot.

Jayden stood up, holding his arms out over Natasha.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you!" Jayden declared, as his eyes leaked tears and his smile wavered. He couldn't fight back but maybe he could keep this woman who fought to protect him safe.

"How adorable." Irene watched as Jayden tried to shield Natasha.

This only made things easier. Now she could take out the two pests with one blow. Irene began diving down, preparing a punch to strike the duo. Jayden shut his eyes, covered the woman as best he could with his body, and braced himself. It was all he could do.

The pilot of the black IS obstructed Irene's path.

"What are you doing?" Irene had to stop herself before she crashed into her.

"We're getting out of here." The pilot of the black IS said.

"What! What are you saying?" Irene questioned. "The boy and the IS are right there! He has no weapons and the blond bitch looks like she's out cold. There's nothing to stop us." Irene clenched her hands in frustration.

"I'm not here to help with your failed mission. I'm here to make sure you get away." She replied. "And we don't have a minute, we have seconds."

"My mission is to steal the IS and child. I'm going to see this through. "

"Your mission," She reminded her, "Was to retrieve the IS and the boy without anyone noticing. You got caught. Neither of those objectives are possible now."

She glanced at Jayden and Natasha, then returned her attention on Irene. "Multiple IS units are converging on our location, too many to fight. Will you come peacefully or not?" The unknown piloted pointed the same weapon she used moments ago, now at Irene. If she wouldn't come quietly, she'd force Irene to retreat.

Irene's IS system picked up the multiple IS that were coming towards their location. If she didn't leave now, they would have to fight their way out. Her target was right there for the taking but now it was too late. Irene clenched her fists as she vocalized her answer.

On the ground, Jayden was still covering Natasha with his eyes shut tight so he wouldn't see it coming. He waited and waited for the impact to come, and yet nothing changed. Jayden opened one eye to see that Irene was… leaving? He opened his other eye to make sure the first one wasn't playing a trick on him.

Sure enough, his eyes weren't lying. The boy watched as his assailant and the unknown pilot soared away at high speeds until they were out of sight. Jayden couldn't find the words to say. Him and Natasha were both at the mercy of Irene and the unknown pilot, and yet they chose to fall back.

"What just happened?!" Jayden asked, trying to comprehend what happened. His brain held no answers and he doubted thinking about it would do any good.

There was one thing he did know; the attack was now over. With his adrenaline running out, Jayden fell to the ground next to Natasha from the exhaustion and fatigue he built up.

The last thing he saw before blacking out was another group of IS units similar landed near him and Natasha.

Jayden's eyes slowly awake. He felt groggy and shaky with a small headache in his head. His body ached a bit, but nothing that some rest couldn't fix. He looked around the area around him. There were beds and cabinets with medicine inside. The walls were painted white with some motivational posters hung. Was this a medical room?

"Where am I?" He tried recalling the last thing he could remember and walked himself back to this point.

"The IS research facility". A voice answered. Jayden looked around for a person but found no one.

"Who said that? Who's there?" Jayden looked all around him. Up. Down. To the Left. To the right. He couldn't find anybody.

The curtain to the left of him was moved aside revealing the person behind it. It was the same person who rescued him. Natasha Fair was sitting in bed holding a novel in her hand. She bent a corner of the page to mark her progress.

"Glad to see you're awake." She turned to face towards him.

Jayden tried to reply but he couldn't find the words. The sunset casted a faint glow on her body that had a few bandages wrapped around her arms. The biggest distraction? She still in her IS uniform. The tight IS uniform that showed off her body as the fabric clung to her. His eyes were wandering to places he knew he shouldn't look.

"My eyes are up here sweetie." Natasha playfully teased as she raised her bed blanket to cover herself. Jayden immediately moved his gaze north of the equator.

"I wasn't staring… Uh…" He desperately tried to recall her name.

"Natasha Fairs." She answered. "We never had the chance to introduce each other with what happened recently."

"Right…My name is Jayden Sylvan. Thank you for saving me Ms. Fairs." He stared again, this time at her face and trying his best to keep it there. On a beauty scale of one to ten, Natasha was breaking the scale.

"Call me Natasha." She gave him a smile showing no harm was done.

"All right then Natasha." He paused trying to think of something else to say. "How did we get here, last thing I remember, we were passed out on the ground."

"My squad mates came and carried us back here, we were both unconscious when they found us. We weren't hurt too badly. Our IS suits managed to keep us safe through everything." She leaned back into a relaxing position.

"I was quite surprised when you activated the IS. You must be quite special little man. Was that you're first time."

"Knowing I could the IS, no. As for being inside one, it was my third time." Jayden knelt over, layng down to look up at the ceiling. "Wait! You don't think a girl?"

"Why would I think that?" She seemed confused.

Someone had gotten his gender right on the first try. As a boy with long hair, a short height and slim body, he's been mistaken for a girl so many times in his life. He could've cried righted there if he wasn't trying to act cool for her.

He thought back to everything that happened. The fact that he did nothing to help and was only there as the prize to be won stuck out to him.

"Something the matter?" Natasha asked. She wasn't fond of the mood Jayden had on his face.

"Natasha… was I of any help back there?"

Natasha looked away, trying to decide how to nicely phrase this. "Uhm… well, you did your best and that's I could've asked of you."

Translation, a big fat no. Jayden brought his hands to his face in shame. His first battle and he didn't get in a single attack nor made any contributions.

"Don't beat yourself up. Your IS was faulty, so it's not like you could've done much."

"So, you're saying I'm nothing but useless?" Jayden sunk even lower.

Natasha realized those were probably not the right words to use. Anything she said, he would take the wrong way.

"That's not that I mean. You did the best you could with you had. Like when you managed to free yourself from her grasp. What did you do to get loose?"

"All I did was spit in her face."

Natasha waited for him to say more but he didn't.

"Wait seriously? You must be one heck of a shot. I wish I saw it the moment it happened." She smiled, hyping up his actions to cheer him up. All it did was make him want to disappear. He pulled his bed covers over his body to hide as though it would make him invisible.

He wasn't feeling any better. Jayden was acting petty given the circumstances, but he was only a kid. All he wanted was to help, and she couldn't blame him too much for that. It was time for a change of tactics.

"Well then, how about I give you something else to think about." Natasha offered, flashing a smile.

"Like what." Jayden poked his head out.

"Just come out of there and close your eyes for a second, okay?" Jayden did as she asked, still replaying the events of the day over in his mind.

Jayden felt something light and soft press against his cheek.

A faint trace of lipstick was left on his cheek.

"Now when you think of today, you'll remember that something good happened at the end."

His mind was frozen as he tried to comprehend the recent event. He pinched his arm and felt pain run through the area. This was real! A girl had given him a kiss. His face was starting to match the color of Natasha's lipstick.

"Geez, you're acting like it's your first kiss or something."

Jayden's face managed to turn even redder.

"Oh!" Natasha giggled, realizing what his face meant. "You're cute Jayden, you know that? Keep that up and you may make me blush." She ruffled his hair and moved back to her own bed.

Jayden could barely function. This woman who was an IS pilot and beautiful enough to be a supermodel thought he was cute! Was she into him?

"MY BABY BOY! ARE YOU OKAY!?"

The door flung open, there was Jayden's father with his face drenched in tears and snot. He locked onto his son, running to him. His hands immediately engulfed Jayden into a huge hug, pulling the boy into his chest

"I thought I wouldn't ever see you again." He nuzzled his face into Jayden's hair crying all the while.

Jayden tried to reply but all he could say were muffled words.

"I feel the same way Jayden." His father loosened the hug to let Jayden's face out. The boy smiled and returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around his father. He had never been so thankful to see him until this moment. They remained there for a short while. Natasha smiled at the heartwarming scene in front of her.

Just a father, his son, and a middle-aged man all huddled together in a group hug.

Wait a second. Something about that didn't seem right.

Jayden blinked and raised his head. His father's arms were wrapped around his back, so whose arms were wrapped around his right hand. It was the famed and eccentric IS scientist himself, Gelimer inviting himself to the hug.

"My baby. My precious baby, I'm so glad you're safe." Gelimer sniffled loudly as he caressed Jayden's hand, rubbing his ring finger all the while. "The mean lady didn't scare you, did she? Don't worry. Daddy's here."

The way his head was positioned, it was as though Gelimer was talking to the ring on Jayden's finger. The ring that was the stand-by form of the IS. Just like that, the mood had gone from wholesome to awkward.

"I'm here to by the way, thanks for your concern." Jayden rolled his eyes.

"Huh? Oh! Right." Gelimer recalled there was a person attached to the IS. "I'm happy to see you're safe to Jayden." Gelimer waved it off, as the eccentric man released Jayden's finger.

"So, are you here to check on us?" Natasha asked.

"Besides making sure you're both okay, we're here to discuss what happened."

The two adults pulled over some chairs and seated themselves.

"Oh good, cause after what I've been through, I feel like I deserve some answers." Jayden said. "Why did Irene want to kidnap me? Where was she trying to take me? Where did she get that IS? Who was the other pilot?" He frantically listed question after question until he had to catch his breath.

Gelimer raised his hand to cease his questions. "In order. I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, and believe it or not, I don't know." He listed off every answer with a finger to make sure he replied the right amount of times.

Jayden blinked dumbfounded. "Is there anything you do know?"

"A lot of things actually, but not much about this. which is why I'm here to learn from you, not the other way around."

Jayden let out a sigh of disappointment. So much for easy answers.

Jayden and Natasha explained every part of the kidnaping they could remember from beginning to end

Gelimer clapped his hands together, seeming to understand everything that was going on. "All right, after hearing what happened, I think we can mark down a few things."

"First. This had been planned for quite some time, possibly before the time the alarms went off a few monthes ago when we discovered Jayden could activate my IS. It seemed like it was the original target, but Irene delayed the theft to steal him along with the IS."

Marc, Jayden, and Natasha nodded along.

"Second." Gelimer summarized. "Irene wasn't working alone. From what you both told us, Irene was saved by another pilot in an IS none of you recognized. So, someone came to back her up and get Irene out of there."

Jayden shivered at the fact that there was more than one person that would now be after him.

"There are other things I can point out, but those are the main points of interest." Gelimer sat back down, satisfied with the way he handled this. "And Ms. Fairs, thank you for protecting Jayden and my IS. You have my gratitude for your actions." Gelimer thanks her.

"And mine as well for saving my son." Jayden's father added on.

Natasha smiled, telling them they're welcome.

"Once you're feeling better Jayden, I'll take you back." Jayden's father got up, "I'm going to finish a few things, come find me when you're ready."

Gelimer motioned for Marc to stop. "And just what do you think you're doing Marc?"

"I'm going to take my son home when he's ready. Have him take a few days off school to recuperate, and maybe a find him therapist if he wants."

"No thanks, I think I'm good." Jayden chimed in.

Gelimer nodded his head in a mock agreement. "Uh-huh, uh-huh. Now tell me. What are you going to do when Irene comes back for you?"

"Come back for me?" Jayden looked at his father couldn't give an answer

"Irene will not just give up. If she threw away her position at our facility to try to kidnap Jayden, she'll most likely try again if given the chance. And if it's true that she's working for someone then there may be more people after him." Gelimer leaned back with his hands behind his head. "Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if there was someone waiting to ambush you when you get home."

"Can't we just have Natasha guard me? Jayden looked towards Natasha who was shaking her head.

"Sorry little guy, I can't watch over you 24/7. And I don't think we can spend the resources to keep you safe from an IS attack in your daily life." Natasha apologized and leaned back in her bed.

Jayden began to sweat nervously. It seemed like he was about to pass out. Before today he was an IS test pilot and school student. Now he would have to drop the latter. What other aspects of his life were now unavailable to him

"Of course, she may not be the only one after you."

"What?" Marc asked. "Please tell me I heard thank wrong." He was really hoping he heard that wrong.

"Ms. Fairs, your squad took you and Jayden here correct." Gelimer asked for confirmation.

Natasha nodded. "Which means they know about Jayden and have most likely reported it to my higher-ups."

"Is that a problem?"

"Up till now, I've been keeping Jayden a secret from everyone, telling people he was my intern so as to not raise suspicion." Gelimer leaned back, placing his hands behind his head. "I was going to reveal you in a few monthes time with my IS once it was ready but looks like your debut will be sooner than expected."

"So, the world learns I can pilot an IS? Still not seeing any problems here."

"Let me put it like this, you're a man who can pilot the IS. There are people who will want to know how you can do that. Now, in accordance to the IS treaty, all discoveries must be shared with the world and all major world governments. Are you following along?"

Jayden and Marc nodded.

"Every government and IS scientist will want a look at the miracle boy who can pilot the IS This will mean a lot of testing, and I don't just mean in an IS. Some of these people will literally open you up if it means there's a shot at figuring out why males can't use the IS."

"But they can't do that! Can they?" Why was no one denying this?

"Not legally… but there's always a loophole or just ignoring the rules and morals. And there's a pretty good chance, some government or country will try to kidnap you. Maybe they'll send in a covert Ops squad, hire terrorists, honestly it's pretty amazing how many ways you can kidnap a person." Gelimer looked to be in deep thought considered which would be most effective when you wanted to steal a person.

Jayden was feeling faint as he shook side to side. The number of people who wanted him had risen from two to uncountable numbers. Natasha was saying something, but he was in too much panic to hear or think straight.

"Now, don't faint on us just yet Jayden. We have some options." Gelimer intervened before the boy could collapse. "First option. We let Jayden go home and hope everyone gave up on trying to get him. If they did, he continues a normal life."

Everyone stared at Gelimer.

"What? Can't take a joke?"

No one was laughing.

"Fine then killjoys, option two. We turn Jayden to the American government and make a deal so you can stay as American property. There should be enough loopholes where we can keep you in America as long as you agree to let them use your body for research and IS testing."

That one made the most sense. It was the most logical idea.

Jayden would be giving up his freedom but at least he could stay in one place. Plus, he could probably visit Natasha often, so that was a positive. If Gelimer was involved he may be able to make sure nothing too dangerous or invasive was done to him. This would mean his social life would be over and Jayden would be at the whim of what his government wanted.

Either live in fear of being kidnapped at any moment or live as a test monkey passed around the world. He stared down at the floor grasping the reality that this was his life now.

"Isn't there anything else we can do?" Marc asked. "We can't just give up my son to the first person who wants him."

"Well there is one thing we could do." Gelimer pondered over it. "But… Nah. You wouldn't want that."

"If you have an idea, I'm listening." Jayden pleaded. His outlook was looking grim. "I'm desperate for anything."

Those were the words Gelimer was waiting for.

"We send Jayden to school". Gelimer said like it the most basic thing in the world. Everyone just stared at him, waiting to hear the rest of it. When nothing else was spoken, Natasha stepped in.

"I don't think sending Jayden to school will fix the situation."

"Not just a regular school my blond friend. A special school that's suited for people like Jayden." Gelimer hinted. Natasha's eyes widened, picking up with the man was putting down.

Natasha's eyes perked up for a moment. She seemed to have picked up what he was putting down. "You're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting are you Gelimer?"

"I think it will be good for him."

"But the new area may be too much for him"

"Eh, I'm sure he can fit in."

"But the many language barriers and the stress of having to keep up with older peers…."

"Perhaps, but it may be his best option. If he can survive this, he can handle papers and quizzes."

Natasha and Gelimer discussed something while the Sylvan family tried to piece together the topic. One was getting more frustrated than the other as Jayden gritted his teeth. "AGHHH! What are you guys talking about?" Jayden grabbed his long hair in frustration, pulling it every way he could. "If you have an idea. just tell me already."

Gelimer and Natasha looked at one another, deciding who should break the ice. "Jayden, are you familiar with IS Academy?" Natasha asked.

Jayden nodded. Everyone knew about that place.

IS Academy being a boarding school composed of girls to nurture them into IS controllers. It was an all-girl school due to women being only being able to pilot the famous machines. Even the staff were women who doubled as instructors due to their former status as pilots or test candidates. Overall, it was a boarding school in Japan with the sole purpose of training girls to use the Infinite Stratos and testing newly developed weapons.

"I've heard about the place. What does IS Academy have to do with me…. Oh…." Jayden realized what Gelimer's idea was.

"No."

"Excellent, now we have to." Gelimer blinked. Something about Jayden's answer sounded off. "Come again?"

"I said no." Jayden repeated. "You're going to suggest I go to IS Academy, and my answer is no." Jayden replied.

"I'm sorry, I think my hearing is malfunctioning. It almost sounded like you were saying no to enrolling at IS Academy."

"That's because I did."

Everyone was speechless by Jayden's decision. What boy wouldn't want to go to an all-girl school to learn to pilot mech suits?

"Why not?" Gelimer wondered. "Do you not like the Infinite Startos? Wasn't it your dream to pilot one?"

"Well yeah. I mean… it was…" Jayden seemed uncertain. He recalled the events from earlier today, how he fell from the sky and almost died multiple times.

"Don't get me wrong Jayden. I agree sending you to IS Academy is a bad idea, but I thought you would be all for it?" His dad seemed puzzled. His son loved the Infinite Stratos, and yet he was refusing to even hear out the idea for it. Not that he would let him go anyway.

"Are you all right?" Natasha asked.

"Of course! Why I wouldn't I be. I mean, I just learned half the world will be gunning for me, and that my life may as well be over. But it's okay, I can pilot an IS so I'm sure it evens out." His mouth twitched as he started laughing.

Gelimer took a long breath before standing up. "Okay Jayden. I was trying to sugarcoat this, entice you to the idea. But now I'm going to lift the cover." He sat down on Jayden's bed, eyeing the boy. "This is your best option."

"Maybe there's another option?" The boy asked.

Gelimer wasn't listening to him. "It's like this. You have one good option, and a load of shitty ones. Every idea that isn't IS Academy will most likely end with you as a government lab rat or kidnapped by someone. That, I can promise you."

"Gelimer!" March growled.

"I mean it. Jayden has a clear path to safety, and he's not going to take it because he doesn't like it? Well to bad. I'm going to say this one more time. Enroll at IS Academy. It's the best option for everyone here."

"Jayden is only 13, IS Academy is like a high school in terms of curriculum." Marc said.

"We can forge some documents, lie about his age and all that. We'll just say he's baby faced." Gelimer didn't seem to mind breaking some rules to see this through.

"He'll be in another country that speaks another language!"

"Then we teach him to speak Japanese. Honestly it's not as hard as people think it is if you dedicate everything to learning."

"We're sending an underaged boy, who is my son in case you forgot, to a school on the other side of the world because apparently they can protect him better than we can? Are you telling me we can't have our military train him without cutting him open or harvesting DNA? Is our country that incompetent?" He kicked over a chair and marched over to Gelimer. "Look me in the eye and tell me this is a good idea."

"It isn't just about protecting him, it's about teaching your son how to use the IS effectively." Natasha tried to convince Jayden's father. "Students at IS Academy can't be affiliated by governments, nations, groups, or associations. Jayden can learn to defend himself while not being tied down to any one government. This will also give him time to find a better solution. A couple years in fact." It would give them more time to find a better solution.

"Marc, I understand your concern and yes, it does seem reckless." Gelimer said to his friend. "As of right now, we don't know how many people are targeting Jayden. It could be in the single digits or triple or more for all we know. My facility is only intended for research and development, meaning I can't get the authority to have someone with IS guard your son if he stays here nor can I keep him here. And the government will most likely seize Jayden the first opportunity they get."

"And you believe IS Academy is where he'll be safe?"

"IS Academy is heavily guarded and home to many professional IS pilots that now teach students. I can give Jayden all my knowledge of IS in how it works and functions, but I can't do much to teach him how to fight in one."

"Then we don't have him fight. I'm not sending my son out to fight terrorists."

Gelimer stood up to meet his friend eye to eye.

"No one is forcing Jayden to fight. If and possibly when something comes for Jayden, it would be best if he could defend himself or run away rather than relying on strangers he just met. If it weren't for Miss. Fair, you may never have seen your son again."

Marc could feel his anger fading from all the points Gelimer was making.

Marc pondered over it, watching as Jayden was staring down at his bed. Gelimer's with his smirk, and Natasha with her reassuring smile.

"All right then." Marc agreed, taking a breath to calm himself. "But If we're going to do this, then we're doing it right."

"Of course, Marc, I'll personally see to it that Jayden is taken care of and ready for this." His friend nodded while Jayden had stars in his eyes. "Although, this all depend on whether Jayden agrees to it."

They all looked at Jayden who was still staring at his bed. Everyone was on board with the idea.

"Jayden?" His father asked. His son looked back at him. "I don't want to force you, but they're right. This is the best for you. But I won't go along with it unless you're okay with it."

Jayden shut his eyes. He would be leaving everything behind, both good and bad for a new life.

"Well, what do you say? We don't have much time if we're going to get you enrolled before someone makes a move." Gelimer folded his arms. He tapped his foot signaling to make a decision quick.

"All right, I'll do it." With a bit of reluctance, the boy agreed. "I'll go to IS Academy." This was the decision he made, and he'd have to stick with it.

"Then it's settled." Gelimer clapped his hands. "Jayden, your father and I will start getting papers ready for your transfer. We have a lot to do to prepare so rest up, we begin tomorrow. Ms. Fair, would you be willing to assist Jayden before he leaves in a few monthes? I'd like to employ you to train him, so he has all the basics down." Gelimer used his famous hire-on-the-spot-stragety that was starting to become a regular occurrence with him.

"I'll have to report back to my squad after this, but I'm pretty sure I can find time to our little pilot." Natasha smiled and looked over at the melancholic boy. The things that happened today must have drastically changed his thoughts on the Infinite Stratos.

"Now then, Mr. Sylvan and I will get preparations started, you two can rest here, we'll have someone bring your dinner in a bit." They got up to take leave. "Get your rest Jayden, you're going to need it."

Saying their good-byes, the two adults took their leave to let Natasha and Jayden get some much-deserved rest.

As they walked away, Marc was grabbing his arm, thinking about what they were about to do.

"Problem Marc?"

"We're really putting my son in a school on the other side of the planet in a foreign nation to keep him safe?" Marc was having his doubts come up again. He was worried his son wouldn't be able to handle all the changes. Was it too late to change his mind?

"Don't worry. Your son's a tough boy, If he can survive a fight with a terrorist, I'm sure there's a good chance, he'll handle this." Gelimer reassured him. "50/50 odds at worst." Gelimer chuckled.

"Well, I guess it's better than nothing."

While the two walked, Gelimer had a little pep in his step as Marc strolled behind him.

"You seem awfully happy about this." Gelimer was never this eager to lend someone a hand unless he stood to benefit in the end. The fact that he was willing to arrange deals and create documents to get Jayden into IS Academy was way too generous for Gelimer's blood as far as Marc knew.

The scientist smirked as he grinned ear to ear. "What can I say, I'm in a good mood. Perhaps your boy is rubbing off on me?"

The two arrived at their officed and began making emails and creating documents for Jayden's transfer to IS Academy. With only a few short monthes until the semester began at IS Academy, there was much to be done and little time to do it.

While Marc was distracted on a phone call, Gelimer opened a word document that he created long along. It was titled "resume" and hadn't been opened in a few years. He doubled clicked the document, humming as he considered what would look good for a position at IS Academy.

**With the semester coming soon, Jayden will be beginning his new school life at IS Academy. Next chapter we begin life at IS Academy, for those wondering the story starts at the same time Ichika enrolls, in IS Academy. **

**Thank you for those reading and keep your eyes open for the next chapter. Again, let me know if you spot any errors be it in spelling, grammar, or something else and I'll make sure to correct it.**

**Keep your sense of wonder and see you next time!**


	3. A Wonderful(?) School Life

**Kicking myself into overdrive, here's one more chapter for the year 2019. Hope you all had a good holiday and are planning your End of the year's resolutions. Or hurrying to finish the ones you made back in 2018. Now that the prologue is compete, the school at IS Academy begins.**

**Here's Chapter 3 of Change My Mind.**

The world had accepted the fact that women were the dominant gender on Earth with the introduction of the Infinite Stratos. When only one gender could pilot the world's most powerful weapon, it was hard to imagine otherwise. The world had come to terms with the new world order and life went on.

Then a boy by the name of Ichika Orimura was discovered to be able to activate the IS.

The world was shocked to learn that a male could pilot the IS. It was the main topic of every media source; people couldn't believe that a man had finally been able to activate the woman-only Infinite Stratos. It didn't seem like anything could top it.

Until it happened again.

A week later, it was revealed that another man could use the IS. Jayden Sylvan was revealed by Gelimer and his IS research facility, piloting their latest developed IS. Once again, the world was in an uproar, with some considering it to be a new age of the Infinite Stratos.

Naturally, every government and group demanded access to them for research and testing purposes. By the Alaska treaty, all information regarding the Infinite Stratos was to be made public and shared with the world. Demands and threats were made for the two men to be shared with the world for research. All the requests sent were quickly denied. Both Ichika and Jayden had been registered and accepted into IS Academy. Under laws set by IS Academy, students could not be affiliated under any organization, association, governments, or any official group. This was done to prevent said groups from influencing students with bribes, threats, or other transactions.

For any teenager going into IS Academy, this should be no problem. Records would be reviewed and IS Academy would accept the best students that were offered.

There was one main issue for Jayden's acceptance. Jayden was 13 which was the age a person would be in middle school. Not to mention he truly had little experience with the IS, only piloting it once when the kidnapping took place. When it was time to send in Jayden's credentials there was only one thing to do.

Lie.

According to Jayden's documents, he was _15_ years of age and had studied under Gelimer for a few years. Gelimer and Marc painted Jayden a believable history to seem realistic with an additional letter of recommendation for acceptance by Gelimer himself. With the falsified documents and the fact Jayden was a guy who could pilot the IS, he was accepted into IS Academy.

One month had passed since the men were revealed, and the semester at IS Academy was about to officially begin.

The first day of IS Academy was about to begin with students getting into class.

"This is way… way harder than I expected." Ichika tried to ignore all the stares at him. Almost every female was looking at him like he was a foreign species. Sitting in the front row dead center didn't help either.

He look around at his fellow classmates, most of whom stared back at him. There were all kinds of girls here. Even one with long dark hair and a scowl on her face. "Houki?"

In the back of the class sat Jayden. For some reason, none of the girls were as interested in him as they were at Ichika. All their gazes were on the other male. He couldn't help but wonder why, he expected some attention but not this little of it.

An older adult entered the room, every gaze moved from Ichika, onto her. She had short green hair, glasses, and was wearing a revealing yellow dress instead of the standard IS uniform, signaling she was part of the staff. There was one noticeable thing about her. Well two of them. Her chest was quite large as they bounced a little while she walked.

"Seems like everyone's here, so let's begin the homeroom. Congratulations on making it into this school." She took her place behind the teacher's desk. "My name is Maya Yamada and I'll be your sub homeroom teacher this year."

Everyone was silent as Maya talked. After a short while she spoke again, this time nervously.

"Starting today you'll all be students at IS Academy. At this boarding school, you will all be spending a lot of time with each other, so please get along and help each other." As she finished her introductions, she seemed to fluster as most students weren't looking at her.

More silence ensued.

"Well then… Let's move on to introductions. We'll go in numerical order to learn about one another." Maya insisted on an icebreaker to have her class learn about one another. One by one students introduced themselves and gave a short summary of their likes and stuff.

Now Ichika was the one who seemed distressed. _"We haven't seen each other for six years and that's how you act towards your childhood friend, Houki?" _

"Orimura-kun?"

"_Did I do something? Does she hate me?"_

"Orimura-kun …"

"_Wait, does she remember me? It has been a long time. That could explain it."_

"Ichika Orimura!" Maya called out to him, getting Ichika's attention. "Forgive me for raising my voice. We're doing self-introductions and, umm it's now your turn. Could you introduce yourself, pretty please?" She sweetly asked.

Ichika looked towards Houki. Once again, once again she ignored him, instead looking out the window. So much for moral support.

"My name is Ichika Orimura."

Everyone in the class was staring at him, as though expecting more.

Ichika opened his mouth, ready to say something else. The class leaned in to await his words.

"T-that's all."

Everyone fell over in comedic fashion on the floor and their desks.

"Was it that bad?"

Ichika got an answer in the form of a fist to his head. He grabbed the pained area with his hands as he looked up at his attacker.

"Chifuyu-nee!?"

Another direct hit landed on Ichika's head.

"You will refer to me as Ms. Orimura while at school."

"Oh Ms. Orimura, has the meeting ended already?" Maya asked.

"That's right Ms. Yamada. Sorry to make you welcome my class for me." She then wrote her name on the board.

Ichika could only stare realizing that his older sister was his teacher.

"All right class, I'm your homeroom teacher Ms. Chifuyu Orimura. It's my job to make sure you rookies can pilot the IS once the year is over. I'll be the one who's training you youngsters and I don't care if you like me or not. Do you understand."

It's my job to train you all well enough so you can stand on your own in a year's time."

The champion of the first Mondo Grosso and world renown pilot was the teacher for class 1-1 of IS Academy. It was like having a celebrity be your teacher. About every girl in the class (and Jayden), squealed in excitement learning Chifuyu Orimura would be their homeroom teacher.

"LADY CHIFUYU! IT'S THE REAL LADY CHIFUYU!"

"WE'RE BEING TAUGHT BY THE ACTUAL CHIFUYU ORIMURA!"

"I'M SO HAPPY TO KNOW SHE'LL BE TEACHING ME THIS YEAR!"

"SHE INSPIRED ME TO COME TO THIS SCHOOL!"

"I WOULD DIE FOR YOU MS. ORIMURA!"

"PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR AUTOGRAPH!" Even Jayden had joined the fangirls in their crazy yells of admiration for Chifuyu.

"TRAIN US SO WE DON'T MISBEHAVE!"

"YOU CAN DO ANYTHING TO ME MS. CHIFUYU!"

Chifuyu sighed loudly as she pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Why do I get all the nutjobs? I swear they put them in my class on purpose." Chifuyu was able to quickly quiet the class down, with a simple threat of running laps around the school.

With that out of the way, introductions continued until they got to the S section. Maya looked over her class roster sheet.

"Next up is Jayden Sylvan." Jayden stood up, looking eager to do his introduction.

"Hello everyone, my name is Jayden and I'm happy to be here. I'm from America. In my free time, my hobbies include playing games watch movies and researching space. My biggest dream is to go to space one day using the IS. Oh, and girls, I'm single." He finished his introduction with a wink and sat back down. The female students simply stared at him, unsure of what to do or say.

"Umm… thank you for that and welcome to the school Ms. Sylvan. All right next is-"

Jayden's head loudly fell onto his desk.

"Is there a problem Ms. Sylvan?" Maya asked.

Jayden loudly groaned. She said it again.

"Despite his feminine looks, Mr. Sylvan's gender is male." Chifuyu said. Jayden was thankful but not thrilled about the way she said.

Just to be sure, Maya looked over the class roster sheet. "Yes. Ms. – err… Mr. Sylvan is in fact a boy." Maya confirmed.

The class erupted once again in an uproar of questions and exclamations.

"So, he wasn't a beautiful girl, but a beautiful boy?"

"But he's too cute to be a boy."

"I guess there are all kinds of men in the world."

"Does that make him a trap?"

They had not one but two boys in their class! Once again, Chifuyu silenced the class before this could go on any further.

Jayden's head remained on his desk. He was too demoralized now to raise it. Ichika sent him a look of sympathy from the front.

"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding Mr. Sylvan." Maya apologized.

"Don't mind… I'm used to being called a girl."

"Okay… Let's continue with introductions." Maya got the class back on track as students introduced themselves one after another. Once finished, Chifuyu took over.

"Now that were finished introductions, we'll go over the syllabus. Your syllabus for the next six monthes begins with memorizing all data concerning the IS. After that, we'll begin practical training to learn about basic maneuvers inside the IS. Have you all got that? Even if you don't answer with yes ma'am!"

The class responded as such.

This was the lesson plan of a high school. Not even one hour in and already Jayden felt overwhelmed. Meanwhile Ichika was trying to comprehend that his big sister was a teacher at IS Academy.

Lessons began as Maya went over the origins of the Infinite Stratos. How it was developed in Japan and its original purpose for space travel. Now-a-days it was used for sport and mock-combat. The last thing she went over was the purpose of the IS Academy to train IS pilots.

After an hour of lessons, a bell rang signaling an intermission for all classes.

Girls from other classes had come to get a look at the two men in IS Academy. They peeked through the windows and door of class 1-1 to get a good look.

"So, this is what zoo animals feel like." Jayden tried his best to keep his cool under the gaze of so many women. Still he was happy on the inside to be the center of attention for all these girls. He nervously waved to some of the girls who squealed back in excitement.

Jayden approached Ichika's desk to get his mind off the many girls. The two men in the academy looked at each other neither one knowing what to say. Each was waiting for the other to break the ice. Shortly, one did.

"Hello there-"

"Do you have a moment?" Jayden was cut off by a girl, she moved in between Jayden and Ichika's desk.

"Houki?" Ichika's childhood friend had come over.

"We need to talk. Can you come with me?"

"Of course. Sorry Jayden, let's talk later." The two left with Ichika following Houki to the roof of the academy. Jayden watched the two leave, feeling rejected.

"Okay… first attempt didn't work. That was fine. There are plenty of other potential friends to talk with." Jayden scanned the room for someone alone to talk with.

"Excuse me, may I have a word with you?" Another girl came up to him, she had light blue eyes and long light blond hair that formed drill-like curls at the end. She looked beautiful enough to be a princess.

"Yeah, sure."

She gritted her teeth as though trying to be patient then settled down. "So, you're one of the newly discovered male pilots?" She asked.

"Yup, Jayden Sylvan. The name's stylish, sweet, and rolls off the tongue. You like?"

She in fact, did not like. "What's with that casual remark? Do you not know who you're speaking to?"

"An IS Academy student?" Jayden guessed.

"I'm not just an average IS Academy student. My name is Cecilia Alcott."

"Nice to meet you Cecilia." Jayden reached out to shake Cecilia's hand.

Cecilia moved back a bit from the hand. "Do you not know who I am?"

"Cecilia Alcott?"

"Don't you think you should behave in a more appropriate manner? Or is that impossible for a man?"

Jayden raised an eyebrow. "And how should I do that?"

"For starters, you should be on your knees praying to the gods that I would talk to someone like you."

"Excuse you?" He looked at her like she was insane, which he thought she might be considering her attitude.

"Honestly, I gave you the benefit of the doubt and expected you would know proper etiquette since you can pilot an IS. It appears that's too complicated for a peasant like yourself."

"And what makes you qualified to tell me what to do Drillhead?"

"D-drillhead!" Cecilia gasped, grabbing the drill like ends of her hair. "

"I'm an elite representative of the country of Britain! I've been fighting for the honor of my country for quite some time. Does that help you realize who you're talking to?"

"So, you have a nice title. Am I supposed to be impressed?" Jayden folded his arms.

Cecilia wondered if there was no end to this boy's ignorance. "Let me put this in terms even you can understand. You're convenience store beef jerky and I'm a five-star restaurant well-done steak."

"Well they're both pretty tasty." Jayden commented. He seemed to have missed the point Cecilia tried to make.

"Are all men as idiotic and dense as you?"

"I don't know. Are all women as arrogant and snobbish as you?"

Cecilia clenched her fist.

"Since I must be a role model for people like you to look up to, I'll give you one chance to redeem yourself. Get on your hands and knees to apologize, and I'll find it in my heart to forgive you."

"First, the only reason I look up to you is because your taller. Second, I'm not apologizing for anything. So why don't you get off your high horse lady."

"We're done here. Because I'm nice I'll give you some advice. Learn your place in the world, or you're going to be miserable." That was the last thing Cecilia said before Cecilia took her seat. Jayden did the same. His mood had gone sour just by talking with that arrogant Alcott. He took his seat, settling on napping for the rest of his break.

"So…. What's up?" Ichika asked when they got to the roof.

Neither one knew what to say.

Ichika decided to end the silence. "It's been a while. But even after six years I still recognize you right away, Houki."

"Huh!?"

"You still have the same hairstyle from when we were kids. After all, there's no way I could forget my childhood friend. You've really grown Houki." Ichika took a good look at his childhood friend now grown up. His eyes wandered over her chest and thighs before rediverting his gaze to her face.

"Yeah…" Houki fiddled with some strands of her hair. She turned to hide her blushing face.

"Not to mention you're still using the same ribbon."

"R-right. I also recognized you the moment I saw you." Houki crossed her arms under her chest. She was showing an emotion that looked between a smile and a scowl.

"Oh, that's right! I heard about winning the national kendo competition last year." Ichika said.

"What! How did you find out about that?" Houki's cheeks blushed as she seemed surprised.

"I saw it in the newspaper one day." He simply stated. "Congratulations on becoming Japan's kendo champion."

"You still read the newspaper?"

"Well yeah, it's my favorite way to keep up with the news." Ichika spoke with a huge grin on his face. The same kind of grin Ichika always had showed to her when she was a kid.

"I see…" Houki spoke.

The first bell rang, signaling all students to return to their classes for the following half of lessons.

"Well, guess we got to head back now." Ichika began making his way to the classroom.

"Yeah, I guess we should." Houki replied quietly while keeping her face hidden from him. _If I saw him smiling like that, I don't know what expression I'd end up showing him._

Maya was teaching again with Chifuyu standing off to the side observing the class. The lesson was on certification for the Infinite Stratos.

"Currently, you need a certification from the state to be able to use the IS. It's a criminal offense to use the IS outside of what has been written in the certification. Okay does anyone have any questions?" Maya paused from her lesson to make sure her students were keeping up.

Everyone seemed to be following along, except for one student.

"Do you have a question Orimura?" Maya noticed that the male student in her front row was looking panicked. She leaned in further, unknowingly giving the boy a front row view of her cleavage. Maya really needed bigger clothes. "If so, don't be shy. I am your teacher after all."

Ichika flipped through the giant book on his desk. He wasn't understanding any of this. It was a lot of information being taught on day one, especially for a newcomer, to understand.

"Well…. The thing is… I don't understand any of this!" Ichika admitted his problem out loud. All the talk of complex maneuvers and IS mechanisms weren't making any sense to him.

"Not any of it?"

"Orimura." Chifuyu moved over to Ichika's desk. "Did you read the reference material you were assigned?"

"Are you talking about that big book?" He recalled seeing something like that when he learned he would be admitted to the Academy. As for where it was…

Chifuyu nodded. "That's right, it even said 'required reading.'"

"I kind of… accidently threw it away."

Chifuyu smacked Ichika upside the head with her attendance book. "You should know better than leave important things lying about."

"Can't you cut him a break?" Jayden called out. "I mean, we all make mistakes. And besides, manual was very long, some people may not have had time to read all of it."

Chifuyu caught on to the part about the length of the reference manual. "So, then I take it you have read the entire manual Mr. Sylvan?" Ms. Orimura put her focus on Jayden as the boy tried to look away from her gaze.

"Well…. I mean I started to." He wanted to finish reading the manual but between IS practice with Natasha, Gelimer's lessons, getting ready for IS Academy, and intense Japanese lessons, Jayden had no time to read it. Anytime he could read, he was too tired to even think about more learning. "But I'm sure we're not the only ones who haven't finished reading the manual."

"Is that so?" Chifuyu decided to test this theory. "Show of hands, who here has read the required reading material?"

Every female student raised their hand.

"Orimura, I'll get you a new manual. I expect you both to have read through the manual by the end of the week. Cover to cover"

"That big book!" Ichika panicked.

"In just a week?" Jayden looked horrified. It was a tall order on short notice "Ms. Orimura, that's-?!"

Chifuyu's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Completely fair and absolutely reasonable ma'am." Jayden quickly changed his tone and surrendered. The two men resigned themselves to their fate.

"Well then, lets continue with class. Everyone turn to page 11." Maya continued where she left as the students followed along.

From the back of the class, Cecilia watched the entire scene. She was disgusted by the men's behavior in class. Not that she had expected anything else.

000000000000000000000000000000000000

In the lunchroom, Ichika and Houki sat together eating the school food.

"Is that all your eating Houki?" Houki's plate didn't have much on it. It would count more as a snack than a meal.

"I'm not very hungry." She took a bite of her fish, not even looking Ichika in the eye.

"Mind if I join you?" Jayden approached them with a lunch of his own. He asked nervously occasionally glancing around.

"Go ahead. Your name was Jayden, right?" Ichika asked.

He nodded in return. Taking a seat next to Ichika, putting the Japanese boy in the middle

"Finally. I swear this school is going to kill me." Jayden laid his head down on the table next to his meal. He realized there was someone else besides Ichika and himself at the table. "And who is this lovely lady?" He looked over Ichika's at friend, checking her out. A scowl from Houki sent his glance elsewhere.

"My name is Houki Shinonono." She simply said, filling her mouth with another bite of food.

"She's a friend of mine." Ichika answered.

"Ah, Nice to meet you Houki."

She gave a simple nod. "Likewise."

"I have to say, it's a relief to know I'm not the only guy here." Ichika said. "Feels like I have someone I can talk to about guy stuff."

"Yeah. It's great having a bunch of girls to talk with, but there are somethings you can only discuss when its man to man." Jayden perked up and started eating. "So... I've been meaning to ask; how did you find out you could pilot an IS? I'm just curious."

"I found out I could use an IS in a high school entrance exam. I took a wrong turn, saw an IS and just happened to touch it. Next thing I knew, it started glowing and some women saw me do it. Then Chifuyu-nee registered me here."

"Really? I found an IS in a research facility. My father works there and brought me along one day. Then I accidently found an IS and activated it. Things happened and my father and his friend registered me here." Both men laughed at the similarity of their arrivals.

"It must have odd finding out you could do it."

"At first, but then it was just exciting." Jayden's eyes were sparkling as he remembered it. "Also, scary. I thought I was going to get arrested or something. But enough about me, let's talk about you. Your sister is really the one and only Chifuyu Orimura? AKA, the Brunhilde. She's the winner of the first Mondo Grosso and runner up in the second one."

"Yeah, she's always been incredible. Chifuyu-nee has done so much for me that I want to be strong enough, so she doesn't have to worry anymore."

They continued talking about Chifuyu, guy stuff, and their current scenario living in an all-girl school. There was no room for Houki to join on their topics or the conservation. Her mind was annoyed until she couldn't take it anymore. "Have fun with your new friend Ichika. I'll see you later." She took her tray and began walking away.

Ichika watched as Houki left the cafeteria, her long hair bouncing side to side as she walked away.

"Did I interrupt something before I got here?" Jayden rubbed his head sheepishly.

"No, your fine. Houki can be stubborn at times but she is a nice person."

"So, are you and her close friends?"

"You could say that. We've been childhood friends, ever since the first grade we went to the same kendo dojo. Then in fourth grade she had to move. Six years later, here we are."

"Wow, that's some history you guys have. It's a little intimidating not knowing anyone here. But they all seem nice." Jayden pictured Cecilia in his head. "Most of them at least. So Ichika, I've got a question." Jayden leaned in close to Ichika. "Which of the girls here do you think look the hottest?"

"Eh? Is that really something you should be focused on?" He looked around to check if any girls heard Jayden say that. Luckily it seemed no one else heard it.

"Of course. There's like a couple hundred girls here and we're the only two guys here. By that logic, there's got to be at least one girl here who's into me." His eyes sparkled with hope.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Ichika seemed a bit nervous to talk about the subject. "Maybe you should focus on your studies for now and worry about your love life later."

"Nah, my eyes are looking for love." He gave a wave to some girls who gave a wave back. "And like the old saying goes. He who laughs first, laughs best."

"I think the saying you're looking for is he who laughs last, laughs best." Ichika pointed out. "And that doesn't really apply to what you're thinking. Jayden."

Jayden waved it off. "It's close enough. Point is, someone's bound to be into me."

"Well good luck with that." Ichika gave him his best wishes as the other boy looked around the room scoping out the girls.

After hours of class, it was the end of the day. Students were gathering their belongings to head out. Ichika felt like his head was going to burst if he learned one more thing today. He began to make his way to the door when he was stopped by someone standing in front of it.

"You there. Stop." Cecilia commanded to Ichika. "I would like to have a chat with you."

"A chat? All right. What's up?"

"How dare you speak to me in such a casual manner?!" Cecilia questioned, "I am Cecilia Alcott, a high-class noble from the Great Britain! Furthermore, what makes you, a commoner Japanese boy, believe you can address me as though I'm some feeble peasant?! I am not only noble, but a Representative Contender for England! I-"

"Hold on, I have a question."

Cecilia folded her arms. "Well as an elite, it is my responsibility to answer the questions of peasants such as yourself. Very well, ask away."

"You said you were a Representative Contender, right? What exactly is that?"

Cecilia cringed in shock. How could someone lack so much knowledge and still be accepted into IS Academy. "I can't believe this! Between you and the American, I can only hope that all men aren't as tactless and brainless as you are."

"Are you going to tell me what it is or not?" His patience was wearing thin from dealing with a girl like this.

Cecilia's eyes twinkled. It was her time to shine. "A representative cadet is one who is chosen by their country to represent them as IS pilots. These elite are the best of the best, and you happen to be in presence of one such as myself."

"I guess that makes sense." There had to something to distinguish the best pilots from the average ones.

"That's right. It's a miracle that you have the good fortune to share a homeroom with a representative cadet such as myself. Feel free to grovel at my feet if you wish. So. Was I able to pierce through that thick skull of yours Ichika Orimura?"

"I got it, I got it." Ichika replied. "So, I guess I'm lucky to meet you?" He tried to summarize what he was just told but Cecilia wasn't too happy.

"Are you trying to belittle me?"

"I'm not."

"Honestly, how did you even get into this school? You're a male who can control an IS, and yet all I've seen is a huge disappointment."

Considering that Ichika hadn't even been inside an IS yet, he thought that Cecilia wasn't exactly wrong. "Yeah, well expecting anything of the current me is probably a bad idea."

"Regardless, since I'm so forgiving. I can find it in my heart to be considerate towards people such as yourself. So, if you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer as long as you get down on your knees."

Ichika's patience was running thin thanks to this girl.

"What do you mean by people like me?"

"You're a commoner and I'm an elite" Cecilia repeated. "Like I said, it's natural for the elites to aid the peasants when they desperately need it. After all I did defeat an instructor during the entrance exam, making me the strongest student here."

"I defeated an instructor to." Ichika pointed out. Cecilia's cocky smile faded.

"What! You defeated an IS pilot? How did you accomplish that feat!? I demand you tell me!"

"I really wouldn't call it much of a feat." He began recalling the fight against the entrance exam instructor. "The instructor charged at me and I dodged. She kept going towards the wall and then kaboom."

"Kaboom?" Her voice was calmer as her rage appeared to settle. Cecilia mentally calmed herself as she regained her composure. "I see, it was nothing more than a fluke that you won. It's the only logical explanation."

"Call it what you want." Ichika squeezed past her to get into the hall.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going? I haven't dismissed you."

"To find my room. It was…" He tried to think of a word to describe their talk. He wanted to say nice but he didn't want to lie. He decided on the word 'unique' in the end." With a back wave, Ichika headed off to the school first year dorms leaving Cecilia flabbergasted. She brought herself to talk with a disgraceful man like him and this was the thanks she got?

"That insensitive ungrateful man. Did he understand nothing that I told him?' Cecilia gritted her teeth hard. "Both male pilots behave like this? Just as I thought, all men are nothing but ignorant, worthless and incompetent masses." Not that she expected anything else.

Ichika made his way to the freshman dorms. As IS Academy was a boarding school, dorms were separated based on school year from freshmen to sophomores to seniors. He counted off the rooms looking for his own.

Room 2025

Ichika stood outside the room he was assigned to according to his keycard. He went in to begin unpacking his belongings.

The room looked to be well stocked complete with fine wooded desks set up with a computer, a high-quality floor, and two beds set up with pearl white blankets. The room was very high in quality.

"Is someone out there?"

It dawned on Ichika that the multiple beds, desks, and computers meant that he would a roommate, and worse the voice he heard sounded female. He tried to look for a place to hide but the room had no areas to conceal him. If he ever played hide and seek, he'd defiantly hide somewhere else.

"Sorry for meeting you like this; I was using the shower before you came. I look forward to having your company for the year." The girl emerged from the bathroom in a pink towel wrapped around her wet body. "I just got out of the shower so excuse my appearance. My name is Houki Shinonono. It's nice to meet-"

This was bad. Both Ichika and Houki were staring at one another.

"I-I-Ichika!"

"H-hello" Ichika sheepishly answered.

"What are you doing in my room?" She hugged her towel around herself to hide her skin. "Stop looking!"

Ichika immediately turned around. "Well… this happens to be my room too." The boy gulped as he realized what this meant. "Wait. That means you and I are sharing the same room!"

"You! You made this happen didn't you!?" Houki dashed to her bag containing a wooden kendo sword and armed herself. She held out her weapon preparing to strike.

"WAIT WAIT WAIT!"

Houki screamed in anger.

Ichika screamed in panic.

Every girl wanted to introduce themselves to the guys at IS Academy and to be polite he had to introduce him back to every one of them. He didn't mind it much… the first 10 times. After introductions 11 and beyond, the names and faces started to blend together. All Jayden wanted right now was to get some sleep.

While counting off the doors, a huge crowd of girls had gathered and seemed to be watching something. Jayden pushed his way through the crowd to get a look.

Ichika was on the floor scared for his life while Houki stood inside the room. It looked like that had a fight. And did that door have holes in it?

"Houki I'm sorry. Please let me in! I'm really sorry about what happened!" Ichika got in a kneeling position and begged to Houki who had changed into wearing pajamas. "Please have mercy and let me in."

"All right, get in."

Ichika went back inside, apologizing to everyone for the disturbance. Now that the show was over, the girls began to disperse, making their way to their respective rooms.

"Wait… was that Ichika and Houki? In the same room?" Were they roommates? Whatever the case was, he was too tired to think about it. Jayden counted off the doors until he was in front of 1035. The room he'd been assigned to live at in the dorms.

All Jayden wanted right now was sleep.

Staggering with exhaustion, he made his way to the nearest bed. His mind was entirely focused on not sleeping on the floor. He could leave unpacking and issues for tomorrow. Jayden pulled himself into bed, counting off the lovely sensations he was feeling. The softness of the sheets, the snugness of the cover over his body. Not to mention the breathing in his face and the human sized pillow next to him.

…

…

…

Eventually his mind connected the dots.

Jayden screamed, waking up the girl who woke up and screamed right back in his face. He hopped back to get out of the bed, or at least tried to. Getting his feet tied in the blanket he fell onto the floor in a heap, knocking his head against the floor with a loud thump.

Jayden groaned as he winced while rubbing the back of his head.

"Are you all right? Let me see."

She knelt beside him. She parted his long brown hair, looking for an injury.

Her hair was a light pink, and she was wearing yellow pajamas with ears that resembled a fox.

"You have-Oh! You got bump on your head. Stay here." She got up and headed into the bathroom returning with a damp washcloth. She placed it on his head and helped him onto the other bed.

"Thank you. My name is Jayden Sylvan.

"Nice to meet you Jaydee. I'm Honne Nohotoke!" She smiled back at him, wagging the ears on top of her outfit like an extremely joyful fox.

How was she able to do that? Wait, what she did she call him?

"Jaydee?"

"It's a little nickname I came up with for you. You like it?" She gave a cheerful smile as her head tilted to the side.

"I don't mind…" He wasn't fond of nicknames, but he didn't want to say no to her. Especially for soothing his bump just now. "By the way, what are you doing in my room?" He was sure he had the right room number.

"This is the room I was assigned to."

"Same here." Jayden replied.

If he was assigned to the room, and she was assigned to the room. That meant…

"We're roommates!" He wished for a girl as a roommate before he got here but Jayden didn't think it would happen. Realistically he should've had a single room or roomed with Ichika. Instead he got a girl in fox pajamas. Not that he was complaining.

"Let's be good friends Jaydee."

"You seem calm about this." Jayden pointed out. "I mean you're a girl and I'm a guy. And we'll be sharing a room. You're okay with this?"

Honne considered it for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders. "I don't mind, you seem nice and easy to get along with. Just don't do anything naughty to me?" She had a cheeky tone as she stuck her tongue out.

"T-That was an accident, I swear!" Jayden flustered as he waved his arms about to deny it. It was dark and the room seemed empty and…"

Jayden continued to list reason after reason to explain himself. All the while Honne giggled and climbed back into the bed she previously in.

"All's forgiven. Let's get along and be the best of roommates! Good Night Jaydee." Honne turned out the lights and pulled the covers over herself."

"Uhm… yeah. Let's do that." He turned his blushing face away. "Good night Honne."

Jayden stared at Honne for a short while. She seemed extremely calm about this like. She had some sort of 'go-with-the-flow-attitude'. There was no use thinking about it now. He was tired and he had a bump he wanted to sleep off. Jayden rested his head against the pillow and followed Honne's example of sleeping the night away.

Thus, marked the end of the first of many days at IS Academy. It was the start of a wonder(?) school life.

**Sorry if the chapter felt uneventful. I was aiming to have some things that will be set in motion for later in the story. Somethings are the same as usual, but others will go through an unexpected turn. Have a happy new year everybody and make 2020 a great year for yourself.**

**Special thanks to Ironbird53 and B123 for help with the chapter.**

**Keep your sense of wonder and see you next time!**

**OMAKE**

Ms. Orimura sat herself down on the couch in the teachers' lounge. She let out a sigh while opening a bottle of water to quench her thirst.

Another year at IS Academy had begun, and already she wished it was over. It wasn't that she hated her job nor her students, but her students could get on her nerves. They had the skills and knowledge to make it into the Academy, but their attitudes and maturity left much to be desired.

"I swear, they give me the knuckleheads on purpose to straighten them out." While she didn't have the evidence to prove it, years of having students who fan-girl over her lead Chifuyu to that conclusion.

"Ah Ms. Orimura, I've been looking for you." Maya stepped into the lounge, carrying a large stack of letters in her hand. "You have some mail." Maya took out the letters and looked over them. "They're from the students of the Academy. Both from our class and others."

"Ah, this again. You can throw those out Ms. Yamada." Chifuyu leaned back onto the couch to get into a more comfortable position.

"Throw them out? Don't you want to read them?" Maya looked over the letters. Most of her students went crazy for Chifuyu when she introduced themselves. They even went out of their way to write letters for her.

"Ms. Yamada, I've done this for years. At the beginning of every year, all the students that are obsessed with me send me these crazy letters either declaring their love or asking for something stupid."

"That can't be true, and I'll prove it." Maya opened one of the letters to read it out loud.

_To the all-powerful Chifuyu Orimura_

_I feel shivers just seeing you take command of the class and make the room freeze with your presence. The power knowing I'm in the same proximity with first ever Brunhilde!_

_Please scold me and shine on as a symbol of strength for all women everywhere! _

Maya finished the letter; regretting having read it out loud. Chifuyu had a look on her face that screamed "I'm-severely-underpaid."

"All right… that one didn't count." She opened another letter from the pile.

"Ah! This one's from Jayden, one of the males in your class." She silently read over his letter to Chifuyu this time. "He says he wants some of your autographs. He must really look up to you Ms. Orimura."

"No, he doesn't. He most likely wants to get my signature and sell it." This wasn't the first time someone asked for her autograph. She didn't give it out to students for two reasons. First, rabid fans would try to take anything she touched and either sell it or keep it. She wouldn't even risk throwing out a used tissue lest students fight over it. Second, if she gave one person her autograph, she'd have to sign autographs for everyone unless she wanted to be accused of favoritism.

Maya was starting to get depressed but didn't want to give up. She ripped open another letter and began reading the contents.

"This is…. Oh my." Maya face got more read as she continued reading the letter.

"An erotic story?" Chifuyu guessed while shaking her head disapprovingly. The look on Maya's face and how engrossed she was confirmed it was indeed one of those. Chifuyu snapped her fingers to get Maya's attention back. The green haired teacher pocketed the letter for later.

"Please hand the rest over." Maya did as instructed. Chifuyu looked over the rest of the letters, skimming them quickly. "Love confession, offer for picnic, love confession, letter of dedication, love confession and one student asking for some of my hair." Chifuyu finished flipping through the rest of them. She groaned through her teeth.

"They must really look up to you." Maya defended them. "I'm sure it's just admiration and they don't know how to admit their feelings."

"There's a difference between admiration and stalkerish behaviors." Chifuyu shut her eyes, this class looked like the worst she'd ever had. "Maybe I should have some of them transferred to another class."

"Ms. Orimura!" Maya yelled, surprising Chifuyu. "Don't say things like that about our students! They may act unprofessional, but they truly do look up to you. They looked so excited when they saw you were their teacher. I wished they looked at me like that."

"Maya…." Chifuyu didn't know what to say. This was the first time Chifuyu had ever seen Maya upset.

"Not all of us teachers can have their students look up to them like you do. So, you shouldn't just toss aside their feelings like that!" In her anger, Maya threw the stack of letters at Chifuyu. The notes and letters scattered about her general area.

"You don't have to do what they ask but don't think of them as lost causes." Her tone sounded defeated as the new green haired teacher turned her back to Chifuyu. "Have a good night Ms. Orimura." Maya walked out leaving Ms. Orimura alone. The remaining teacher started to eye the paper scattered all around her.

Chifuyu got up and began picking up the letters. On the floor was one more note that Maya threw. She bent over to pick up note, happening to read it as she picked it up.

_Dear Ms. Orimura._

_You don't know how happy I was to learn you would be my teacher this year. My life wasn't going great when I was younger, and I didn't know what I should do for a living. Then I watched you fight in the Mondo Grosso. You inspired me to become an IS pilot. I give my dreams a chance and worked hard to be admitted into IS Academy. I'll do my best to meet your expectations and someday compete in the Mondo Grosso. Please teach me everything you know._

_Your student, Marissa Hollybell._

"These students are idiots." Chifuyu let out another sigh. She neatly folded the note and placed it in the pocket of her business suit. "But they're my idiots." She gathered all the letters and carried them under her arm. She had a long year ahead of her to turn those students into proper IS pilots, and she was going to get them there no matter what. Chifuyu's lips curved into a small smile.

**Chifuyu Orimura and Maya Yamada raising the next generation of IS Pilots.**


	4. Your Challenge, Our Struggle

**Happy 2020 everybody! Here we go!**

**Here's chapter 4 of Change My Mind.**

The morning had come and following breakfast, every student made their way to their respective class. Chifuyu was standing at the head desk looking to make an announcement.

"As you know, the field of the Infinite Stratos is growing everyday with new advancements and discoveries being made. To help you students, we're trying something new for the first-year students as a trial run. Additional teachers have been hired to help us keep up to date and assist you all in your studies." Chifuyu announced. "You are to give our new staff the utmost respect he deserves. Am I clear?" Chifuyu ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" The entire class answered. The class then realized Chifuyu said the H word. 'He', as in a male.

To everyone's surprise It was a man who walked into the room. He had short white hair, black square glasses that covered a small portion of, and a lab coat that looked like it would usually be worn by scientists. Most of the class was silent as he made his way over to the main desk while Chifuyu stepped to the side. No one seemed to know who he was, except for one student.

Why was _he_ here? Jayden pinched himself to wake up. Nope. He was still here.

The girls were yelling and squealing with the arrival of another man at the academy. It seemed like the girls weren't going to stop anytime soon. Ms. Orimura banged her fist, leaving a sizable dent in the wall. The volume of the class immediately dropped to silent. Now the new professor could speak.

"Thank you, Ms. Orimura." He addressed the class. "Good morning everyone. My name is Gelimer Brighton, please hold your applause to the end."

Nobody was clapping. The man resumed his introduction.

"I look forward to teaching you all. For the few of you who don't know who I am, let me tell you a little about myself."

For the next minute or so, Gelimer talked highly about himself in his introduction for the next minute without pausing for a breath. His speech border on overdramatic at times, like he was acting in a one-man stage show for which nobody bought a ticket. Chifuyu waved her hand in a 'get on with it' motion.

"Now then, before we begin if anyone has any questions for me, I'll-"

"What are _you _doinghere!?" Jayden interrupted.

Gelimer raised an eyebrow recognizing the test subject who was now his student. "I'm here to teach you all about the history of the Infinite Stratos in regular intervals. In simple terms, I'm your teacher. Wait!" He gasped. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I'm here to learn about the IS."

"Indeed, you are." Gelimer raised a hand to his chin, as though he was in deep thought. "Well what do you know, we're all exactly where we should be. Any more questions?"

A girl in the back raised her hand. "Professor! Can you use an IS like Ichika and Jayden?"

"I'm afraid I can't operate an Infinite Stratos unit." He placed a hand over his heart. "How unfortunate that one such as I who has dedicated so much to the IS. It's a problem I've investigated, but I haven't found any answers. But anyway, we've got time for a bunch more questions. I'm eager to learn about all my students so ask away." He chose a girl who sat next to Ichika.

"I've heard you're the best researcher in America." Gelimer looked extremely satisfied. "but is it true that you're not as good as Tabane Shinonono?"

Gelimer's face twitched as he heard the taboo word. "Oh, would you look at that? It appears we're out of time. We have to get a move on for the lesson today." He flipped over the teacher's textbook, avoiding the question like an amateur.

Chifuyu let out a sigh. For better or worse it seemed like the Gelimer could keep things under control now. She took her leave, exiting without a word.

Now that she was gone, Gelimer relaxed his posture. Who could work naturally when being watched like a hawk? "Now, let's see what we're covering today." Gelimer began opening lesson plan that the school provided. "All right today will be discussing the types of the Infinite Stratos." He began pulling up pictures on the monitor behind him.

"Currently there are 467 cores that have been distributed and shared around the worlds governments and corporations. The types of IS are split into two categories.

The screen now showed two photos of IS. On the left was a plain IS, like the ones used in the school for the training purposes. On the right was an IS colored green with a long sniper rifle and more modifications made to it.

Gelimer pointed at the left photo. "The first type is the training IS. These are mass production models were given by the Japanese government to train students at IS Academy. The ones used at IS Academy are known as the Uchigane and it's a mass production model. Every country has their own mass production model of IS but we'll cover that another time. One thing to remember is that these types of models run on special batteries so they can be used in mass due to the limited amount of cores in the world, so they won't be as powerful as the next IS type we're about to go over."

The class was awestruck as he taught. His teaching was easy to understand, even for a beginner. Despite his eccentrics at times, he was a pretty good teacher.

"Now the second type of IS is the personal IS unit." He showcased the fancier photo of the IS on his right. "These are special IS units that bond and change to fit the user's specifications. They can be harder to use in their default settings but once they're formatted to the user it can become like an extension of the user itself. These types of IS are powered by an IS core which gives them greater power outputs compared to standard models." Gelimer paused to let the class soak in the information, reaching into his pocket, pulling out a green ring. "A personal IS usually takes the form of accessory when not in use." He held up the ring for the class to see. The class gawked the piece of jewelry.

"Mr. Brighton, is that a real IS?" One student asked.

"My, you're quite observant. Yes everyone, this is a real IS unit in its closed form. Come up and take a look if you wish." He placed the ring on the desk as students got up for a closer view of the ring. It was a shiny silver band that was to be worn on the ring finger. The girls stared and commented on the ring.

"We're this close to a personal IS Unit."

"Careful not to get too close or you could activate it."

"It's such a cute ring."

"It would make really good jewelry."

"Yeah, it would look great on any girl."

Gelimer's face wore a cheeky grin as he thought up a mischievous plan.

"Now would the owner of this ring like to come claim it?" All the students looked around, trying to figure out who it was Gelimer was talking about. Jayden kept his head looking at his desk, avoiding all eye contact anyone

"Oh? If the owner doesn't come get it, I may just give it to someone." Gelimer teased further.

Resigning himself to his fate; Jayden got up, grabbed his ring, and hurried back to his desk.

"No way, he's a guy and he has his own IS!?"

"It looks really good on you."

"Jayden-kun has his own IS!?"

"I'm so jealous."

"He looks like a little maiden, getting ready to be married off to his true love."

Jayden tried to hide his blushing face as the girls unleashed a barrage of comments about the form of his IS. Why did Gelimer have to make the standby form of his IS a piece of girl's jewelry!? Through his sleeves he glared at Gelimer. And why did it look like he wasn't done ruining Jayden's life just yet?

"Oh, and girls, just because he has a ring doesn't mean he's taken." Gelimer winked at Jayden.

The girls squealed like over-excited fans at a boyband concert. Somewhere in Jayden's brain, his ego took a devastating blow. This wasn't how he wanted to get a girlfriend.

The professor laughed at Jayden's misfortune. "Well as fun as this has been, I need start making my way over to class 1-2 now. Just need to take attendance. Gelimer looked over the class roster making down everyone until he got to a certain name. "What do we have here?" He took a good look at Houki. "Ah, you wouldn't happen to be Houki Shinonono would you?

Houki didn't comment.

Once again, the class was in an uproar.

"Is she really related to Tabane Shinonono?!"

"That's right everyone. Your classmate Houki, is the younger sister of Tabane Shinonono." Gelimer confirmed.

"Hold on, Isn't Ms. Shinonono the most brilliant researcher in the whole wide world?" Cecilia exclaimed.

Gelimer winced, his smile was starting to look painful. "Well… I'm sure it depends on who you ask."

The whole class started bombing Houki with questions about her sister, the genius and creator of the IS.

Houki slammed her fists on her desk. "I have nothing to do with her." Her outburst made a few people jump up in surprise. She immediately sat back down, her eyesight looking at her desk. "I'm not professor Shinonono. We're just sisters, that's all."

Gelimer smirked. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you got into his school Ms. Shinonono. With a name like you could get anywhere regardless of your lack of skill." Before Houki could inquire what Gelimer meant, he went to collect his things. "I'll be going over what I talked about with you all to the rest of the first-year classes. Thank you for your time and I'll see you all again in a few days."

By the end of the first class, some of the class loved him while others wished he'd never set foot in the Academy.

/-/

After Gelimer's lesson, Chifuyu was back to teaching the class of 1-1. The lesson was finished which left one more issue for the head teacher of class 1-1 to resolve.

"Two weeks from now, you will all be asked to choose your class representative to compete in the inter class tournament. A class representative not only competes in the tournament, but also attends student council meetings, and committee meetings. Think of it as your class leader okay?" Chifuyu explained. "I will now take nominations for the position."

"Sensei!" A girl from the second to last row raised her hand. "I'd like to nominate Orimura-kun."

"That's a great idea!" Another girl spoke out.

Ichika panicked hearing his name nominated. "W-wait a minute here. I don't want to do this."

"Those who are nominated by others can't decline." Chifuyu said. Ichika's name was put on the board.

"Who the heck designed these rules?"

Jayden just kept his head down through all this. As much of an honor that it sounded like to be class rep, it was too much work for his taste. The only thing a person got out of it was the title and thanks from their peers. If he stayed quiet in back, maybe everyone would forget about him.

"Ms. Orimura, I'm nominating Sylvan-kun to be our class rep." Another girl called out.

The plan had failed.

"Yeah, he's a guy too, so I can see him leading us."

"What! I can't be our class rep. I don't want this!" Jayden held his arms in an x.

"Those who are nominated by others can't decline." Chifuyu repeated and put Jayden's name underneath Ichika's. Both boys were now locked into nomination.

"Are there anymore nominations?" Chifuyu asked. "If not, we'll begin the vote immediately."

Both guys were in panic. Ichika was trying to comprehend how he got to this point, while Jayden was considering what to say to throw the election. Meanwhile girls were gossiping over who they planned to vote for.

The sound of a fist slamming on a desk got everyone's attention. "I do not approve of this! This type of selection is utterly unacceptable!" It was Cecilia Alcott. She stood up to address her opinions on the matter. "Our representative should be chosen based upon their skills, experience, and leadership. Not by a popularity contest. Most of all, it would be shameful to have a boy as our class representative."

Ichika remembered this girl from yesterday, the same one who had an attitude about being better than everyone else and loved to brag about herself. She was starting to get on his nerves.

"There's no way a male can possibly handle the responsibility and stress that comes with leadership. You can't possibly expect that I, Cecilia Alcott should have to deal with that sort of humiliation for an entire year, do you? We need a class rep who knows how lead and can manage our class."

"And let me guess, you should be the class rep?" Jayden spoke out.

Cecilia smirked. "Why naturally, I'm a representative cadet for the great country of England. What man could possibly even compare to myself?"

"Hey! You'll find us men are more capable than you think we are." Ichika challenged. He stood up, looking the English woman in the eyes.

Cecilia scoffed at Ichika's remark. "Oh really? So then, you must have finished reading the required manuals that neither of you had done so yesterday."

The boys silence told her everything.

"The fact that neither of you have done so explain a lot. Then neither one of you are qualified for the position. As the Cadet representative of England, I'll make sure to do the job that neither of you Japanese nor Americans are capable of."

"Well your country isn't all that great either. Isn't it true that your country has the world's worst cuisine?" Ichika pointed out.

"You have the audacity to insult my country!? We English have many delicious dishes. But that doesn't change the fact that neither you nor the little boy can hold a candle to an elite such as I. If we came to blows you would be crying blue tears for mercy."

"You think you're that great just because you have an IS unit, don't you?"

"Of course, I do. I worked for my unit, being the best choice out of the other possible cadets. You two are being given IS units for the sake of gathering data because you're both male. There's a clear gap between you both and I."

Jayden was getting sick of Cecilia's gloating and her taunts. He clenched his fist "Is that so? Well then…. I…. I" Jayden's rage was reaching its max. In that moment, a plan came to Jayden's mind. A way to take down Cecilia and get out of being the class representative. "I CHALLENGE YOU TO A FIGHT!" Jayden pointed a finger at Cecilia.

Everyone in the room was silent.

"You challenge me to a duel? My, you Americans are hilarious." Cecilia laughed with a hand clutching her side to stabilize herself. Soon her laughter ceased, and Jayden was still pointing at her. "You're actually serious? I was attempting to be civil but if must use force then so be it. I'll happily take you on in a duel!"

"I'll fight as well. It'll be much easier than debating." Ichika joined in. "I'm getting sick of hearing boast about how great you are. Why don't you prove it instead running your mouth off?" Jayden was relieved that Ichika felt the same as he did about this girl.

"It looks like it's settled then." Chifuyu smirked at the display she just witnessed. This would be a much more interesting way to decide the class rep. "As all nominees have agreed, the election will be settled in an IS battle. Due to the number of combatants, the match will be a battle royal. Everyone for themselves and the last one standing will be declared the class representative. Do you all accept these conditions?"

Cecilia clicked her tongue. This battle royal would certainly turn into a two versus one against her. One of her opponents had a personal IS unit and the other was the brother of the famed Chifuyu Orimura. She didn't want to admit it but together, there was a chance she could lose.

"Why don't you go run to mommy and daddy Drillhead? I'm sure they'll let tell you your number one and make you feel special." Jayden taunted.

"How dare you… I will make sure you know your place when I'm done with you."

"Then it looks like we all in." Ichika said. "You'll see what happens when you get too big for your britches Cecilia."

Jayden and Ichika glared at Cecilia who in turn glared back.

Cecilia in return, glared right back. "So be it. It doesn't matter whether you team up not. Two ants can't defeat a dinosaur no matter how much they wish it." Jayden clenched his fist; he wouldn't let her make a fool out of him.

_It's not perfect but it's the best chance we've got. With two against one, we might be able to beat down Cecilia. Then once she's gone, I can take a dive and hand the position over to Ichika_. If Jayden's plan worked out, Cecilia would be eating humble pie and the duty of class rep would be Ichika's problem.

"Very well then. The match will be set for-"

"I NONIMATE HOUKI SHINONONO FOR CLASS REPRESENTATIVE."

Everyone blanked for a moment.

A girl sitting in the back, on the right side of Jayden had yelled out another nomination at the last second. She had long black hair tied in a ponytail and appeared to be of Japanese descent. Her face blushed as everyone was now staring at her.

"Oh? Care to elaborate on why Shinonono should be class rep Ms. Tani?" Chifuyu asked.

"Well…" She hesitated to speak. "Shinonono is the younger sister of the famous Tabane Shinonono. That means she must know a lot about the IS like her sister. With her being so knowledgeable, she must be really smart and can pilot an IS well enough to lead our class."

Houki didn't say anything, she refused to give any comments relating to her sister.

Chifuyu began writing Houki's name on the board. Houki panicked, Chifuyu was taking her nomination seriously.

"Hold on, I don't-"

"Those who are nominated by others can't decline." Ichika and Jayden hopelessly repeated. The fourth name was now added to the board.

"I'll ask one more time, are there any other nominations?" Chifuyu asked.

Jayden was starting to sweat. With four people a battle royal wouldn't happen. "I nominate-"

"Those who were nominated can't recommend anyone else." Chifuyu commanded.

Seriously! Who designed these rules?

The class remained silent.

"Very well at this time nominations for class rep are closed." Chifuyu announced. "With an even number of nominations, the tournament structure will be changed from a battle royal to a standard tournament."

"What!" Jayden panicked. Teaming up wasn't an option when the battles were one versus one.

Cecilia couldn't help but laugh. "What's the matter? Thinking of running away now that you have to fight alone?"

"I'm not going anywhere." Ichika replied. His resolve to fight Cecilia stood firm. As a man he couldn't just back down from the challenge.

Jayden was looking worried; all his opponents were big named competitors or had family legacies to live up to. He had none of those.

Houki was staring at Ichika. Concerned that this would be a fight he may not be able to win.

"It looks like that's settled. The tournament will be staged this Friday at Arena 3. Orimura, Alcott, Sylvan, Shinonono. I expect you all to be ready by then." Chifuyu stated.

The tournament for the title of class 1-1's representative was now set.

/-/

Noodle after soupy noodle went down Jayden's throat as he furiously slurped them down.

"You're going to get a stomach-ache if you keep eating like that Jayden." Ichika commented out as he took a bit of his chicken. The gang were trying to eat their meals, some more peacefully than others.

"I can't help it." Jayden swallowed what was left in his mouth. "I'm going to have to fight Cecilia, and she'll mop the arena with me! And probably you guys to! Why aren't you guys panicking?"

"I'm nervous to Jayden but I can't find a solution if I'm scared. In times like this you have to keep calm" Ichika said.

"What were you even thinking challenging Cecilia to an IS battle? Houki scolded. Even she had been dragged into their squabble.

"I was thinking about knocking her down a peg or two. And that if me and Ichika teamed up, we could beat her." Jayden groaned as he remembered how his plan was now in shambles. Why did someone have to nominate Houki?

"Don't look at me. I didn't want to get involved in the first place." Houki commented.

"Well whats done is done." Ichika pointed out. "All we can do now is practice and fight in the class rep battle this Friday. Although at this rate, were going to lose really badly."

"How are you going to fight though Ichika? You don't even have an IS?" Without an IS, Ichika would have to forfeit by default.

"Chifuyu-nee told me the Japanese government was having an IS unit delivered here for me to use. They want me to gather data. Luckily it should be here before the tournament starts."

Houki sat there and watched as the two boys talked. Every time Ichika was with Jayden it was like she didn't exist. She decided it was time for a direct approach. "You two are idiots. It's your own fault for getting provoked back there. You've got the whole school talking about your battle"

By now rumors were circulating around the school about the class rep battle. In a matter of hours, everyone would know about it through the grape vine. In IS Academy, they say that rumors traveled faster than a speeding IS.

"Mind if we sit with you guys." The group was approached by Honne and two of her friends had arrived, carrying their lunches with them. None of the guys minded. Houki looked like she wanted to object but remained silent as the girls joined the table, placing their lunches down.

"Is that really all you girls are going to eat?" Ichika compared their lunch size to his own, it was quite the difference in calories. "It doesn't look very filling."

"We eat a lot of snacks to get by!" Honne replied cheerfully. Then noted to Jayden scarfing down his noodles. "But do you guys always eat a lot?"

"Sometimes." Ichika looked over at Jayden who now gulping down the last of his soup. "Jayden's just really hungry."

"So Ichika, I heard you and Houki are roommates. Is it really true?" One of the Honne's friends asked.

"Yeah it's true. Although we are childhood friends so it's easy to get along with Houki." Ichika smiled at Houki who's face had gone was turning red. She was looking really happy to. "It's a lot better than living with a random girl. We've had to set up a few rules so we can live together but I think it can work out."

"You two are childhood friends!" Honne smiled. "That's so nice."

"Speaking of roommates, what about you Jayden? Do you have a roommate?" Ichika asked.

"Well… me and Honne are sharing a room." Jayden answered.

Honne happily nodded along. "That's right. He even tried sleeping with me."

Jayden almost choked on his soup.

"Don't say it like that! It was just an accident."

Houki and Honne's friends glared at Jayden. Ichika put a hand on his shoulder, understanding what he was going through. Being a male student in an all-girls school lead to too many misunderstandings.

"Say, you guys are the ones talked about in the school rumors, right? The boys who can pilot an IS?"

Everyone turned to see another female student standing at their table. Based on her uniform, she looked to be a third-year student.

"That would be us." Ichika confirmed.

"And I've heard you three are going to be fighting in a tournament with a representative cadet, is that right?"

They nodded.

"So, it is true. But you boys don't have the experience needed. I'm a Third-Year student, so how about I teach you everything you need to know." She sat on the edge of the table stroking the bottom of Ichika's throat while giving him a wink. "About the IS that is."

Ichika really did need a coach if he wanted to stand a chance. Before he could answer, Houki cut him off.

"That will be enough, I'll be the one to train him."

"Oh? But you're only a first-year student. Do you think you can do better than me? A third-year student. And besides, you're in that tournament as well so why would you want to help your enemy?"

"I don't care about the tournament." Houki seemed hesitant to say what she was going to say next. "And because… I'm the sister of Tabane Shinonono."

"Shinonono! As in _the_ Tabane Shinonono!"

"That's right!" Honne and her friends confirmed. "The great class 1-1 has the sister of Tabane Shinonono, and not only that. We have the little brother of Chifuyu Orimura, the grand champion of the first Mondo Grosso. And we have Jayden…" Unlike the others, he didn't a sibling nor a fancy title to use. "He's a guy" was what they ended up saying.

"O-oh… I see… I guess there's no use for me then." With that she walked away and went back to her group of friends.

Jayden watched as his potential coach walked away. "Maybe we should have kept her around?"

"We don't need her." Houki got up. "I'll be the one to train you Ichika."

"But are you and Orimu in the same tournament, what If you have to fight him?" Honne asked.

"I don't have any interest in the class rep position. Ichika, you're coming with me to the kendo dojo right now. I want to see how much you've improved." Against Ichika's protests, Houki took his arm and led him to the Academy's kendo club room.

"I'm doomed. I don't know anyone who can help me, and I've only got three days to prepare." Jayden let his head hit the table.

"What about the new professor?" One of Honne's friends mentioned. "In class, it looked like you each knew one another. Maybe he can help you."

"Gelimer!" Jayden remembered. Back in America he was head of an IS research facility but here he was a teacher. Say what you wanted about his ego, but the guy could be pretty crafty. Maybe he could do something about IS rep battle. "Thanks for the idea, I have to go find Gelimer." Jayden sped off to look for his professor now turned teacher.

"The guys are full of energy." One of Honne's friend commented.

"They must be really eager to try to win..." The other one replied. "What do you think Honne?"

…

…

…

"Honne?"

The two girls realized their long-sleeved sleepy friend had also left. They wondered where she ran off to as they returned to their meals.

/-/

In the kendo dojo of IS Academy, Houki and Ichika we're getting ready to begin their special training. They each stood a short distance from each other donned in kendo safety gear to protect the body. Each of them held a wooden sword in a battle stance. Ichika wondered how long it had been since he last wore a kendo outfit.

"Are you all set Ichika?" Houki asked, snapping Ichika out of his memories.

"Yeah, I'm ready when you are."

"Then let's do this!" Houki stuck her sword with a yell forcing Ichika to block. The two wooden blades clashed as their owners struggled to overpower the other. "Nicely done Ichika."

"I won't be beaten so easily." Ichika pressed forward, leaning himself in to get a better angle. He threw another strike as Houki, hitting her shoulder guard to send her om the ground. The first point was Ichika's.

"Sorry about that Houki. Are you hurt?" He offered her a hand to get up, but Houki immediately smacked it away.

"You idiot! What are you thinking showing your enemy sympathy in the middle of a match?" Houki got up and returned to her starting position. "Until the enemy is defeated, you need to always keep your guard up."

Ichika readied himself for another round. He wasn't showing kindness because he thought she was weak. It was just the kind of person he was. To always help someone in need.

Houki attacked relentlessly forcing Ichika on the defense.

_Clash Clash Clash Clash_

All Ichika could do was block as he stepped back after each block to prepare himself.

On Houki's next attack, halfway into her swing, she switched from a vertical swing to a horizonal one, catching Ichika off guard as her sword connected to Ichika's protective gear. The next point was hers.

The two set themselves up to their starting positions and began for the match point. Like before Houki lead with relentless aggression. It was than Ichika realized that he forgot one important fact. Houki was a national kendo champion. It was stupid of him to think about holding back considering her skill level compared to his own. Ichika was now kneeling back while Houki pushed forward, gaining ground quickly on Ichika. Realizing there was no way to win, Ichika resorted to his last option.

"I give up!"

A few girls peaked through the door, watching as the kendo match finished.

"Oh my, Orimura-san almost had it."

"Shinonono-san's really strong."

"Or maybe it's that Orimura-kun is weak. Shinonono really dominated him in that fight."

"I don't know, Orimura being dominated has a nice ring to it."

Houki removed her protective headgear wiping some of her sweat off her forehead. "Ichika. Explain yourself. In the six years since last saw you, how have you managed to grow weaker? What club were you in during middle school?"

"The go-straight-home club. Perfect attendance for three years in a row." He neglected to mention that he had to work part time jobs on the side to help with finances for him and his sister.

"Unacceptable. We're going to redo your training from the beginning." Houki ordered. "You have more problems besides the IS. I'll make sure to train you every day, no matter how long it takes Ichika."

"Shouldn't we be focusing more on the IS stuff?" Ichika asked.

"As a man, aren't you embarrassed to lose to a woman, not just in an IS but a kendo match as well?"

"Well yeah, I'm not happy about it."

"Then you don't have the time to sit around. Wait, don't tell me you're taking it easy because you enjoy being surrounded by women?"

"I wouldn't call being treated like a zoo animal, 'enjoyment.' Not to mention I'm forced to live with a girl so-"Ichika covered his mouth but it was too late. The damage was done.

Ichika raised his wooden sword just in time to block Houki's swing.

"So, you don't like living with me? Is that it!" Houki growled. Her sword was getting closer and closer to Ichika's head.

"Houki put the sword down! You don't want to become a murderer, do you?" Ichika pleaded so he wouldn't get his skull cracked into pieces.

Houki ceased her assault. "You've really gotten weak Ichika. I wanted to see your current state and as you are now, you leave a lot to be desired. We'll train again tomorrow to help you build up your strength and we'll keep doing that every day. Once you build up your strength, we can begin the IS training." Houki left for the locker room leaving Ichika on the floor, panting from surviving death.

"Damn it, a man losing that badly is just wrong. But wow Houki you've really gotten strong." Ichika picked himself up, managing to stand. The way he was right now, Ichika couldn't protect or save anyone. He couldn't let things stay that way. "Better start training again." He picked up his wooden sword and begun to practice his attack swings.

/=/

"Finally, it's done. They say the first day is the hardest, but I don't think I'll get use to this" Gelimer spoke aloud. He slid against the wall leaning against it for support. Teaching wasn't hard, just very repetitive when you had to go over the same thing four time, once for each class.

Suddenly the door slammed open; "Gelimer!"

"Jayden?" Gelimer composed himself, getting back on his feet. "Hello there Jayden."

"Don't 'hello there Jayden' me. You've got some explaining to do, like why you're here at IS Academy."

Gelimer opened his mouth.

"And no rhetorical answers!"

The man rolled his eyes. "I applied for a teaching position at IS Academy. While they usually only hire veteran pilots or test candidates, it appears my reputation managed to help me secure a position, Lucky me huh?"

"Really? You gave up your position as head of America's IS research facility to become a teacher?" No one would just give up that power without a good reason. "What are you really doing here?"

"Sorry, you asked your question, now it's my turn. Who's your friend?" He motioned for Jayden to turn around."

Jayden did so, almost jumping in surprise.

"Honne!?"

"Yoho!" Honne waved a sleeve covered hand. "You left in a hurry, so I followed you."

"How did you even-"

"Ah, you must be a friend of Jayden's." Gelimer cut him off, greeting the sleepy looking girl. "His father will be happy to hear he made a friend. Personally, I thought he'd be alone for about half the year. Good on you little guy." The man chuckled as he took pulled out a chair and took a seat. "A boy and a girl together, I wonder if you're only friends?"

"She's just my roommate." Jayden replied.

"Oh, I'm sure she is." Gelimer winked.

"Stop winking."

The man laughed. "But enough about that, let's talk about something else. Like the class representative battle your class is having."

People were right. News did travel faster than an IS at this school.

"Yeah." Jayden admitted. "In a few days I'll have to fight against some of my classmates, including this one annoying girl who's a cadet representative. If I fight her, she's going to pound me into the ground." He shivered imaging himself broken and beaten as Cecilia stood over him. That was a future he couldn't let become reality.

"Then you've come to the right guy." He motioned for Jayden and Honne to take a seat. "So, tell me Jayden what do you want to do about this?"

"I need to find a way out of this battle. Currently I'm thinking breaking a bone or two should do the trick."

Gelimer stared at him, clicking his tongue. "Ok, I was hoping for something along the lines of _how you can win_. I'm not sure why you're immediately jumping to _trying to run away_ instead."

"Because everyone is going to kick my ass!" Jayden closed his eyes imagining it. "Cecilia's a cadet with a personal IS and loads of experience. Ichika is the younger brother of one of the greatest IS pilots ever, and Houki is the younger sister of Tabane Shinonono, the greatest IS researcher ever!"

Gelimer reached out to Jayden's mouth, clamping down on his lips.

"Now Jayden. That last one is only speculation. Do you understand?"

The boy quickly nodded, prompting Gelimer to release his lips.

"So, I need you to get me out of the fight. Make up a reason to get me out of this. You're a teacher now so you've got some authority here."

"No."

"What do you mean no!? Back in America you said you wouldn't make me fight."

"Half true. I said I wouldn't force you to fight terrorists or anything too dangerous. You'll be fighting in a controlled arena and unless Cecilia is planning to blow up the school, you won't be facing any terrorists. Not to mention there's another you have to fight."

"And that's because….?"

"Data." Gelimer said.

"Data?" Jayden seemed confused and yet it looked like Honne understood.

"As the owner of a personal IS pilot it's your job to gather data for me so I can improve my IS. As the pilot continues to fight inside the IS, the IS can grow, and in some cases, it's said to evolve. Pilots with a high IS rating can speed up the growth rate of an IS. Not to mention they test out the weapons on there is to make sure they work properly and figure out how they can be improved. That ring on your finger isn't just for you to accessorize with."

Jayden looked down at his ring. The closed form of his IS. Albeit girly, it was Jayden's very own personal unit. It gave him a feeling of encouragement just looking at it.

"By fighting in that IS, I'll be able to gather data on its weapons and learn what needs to be improved or removed.' Gelimer explained. "You'll be inside an IS, so you won't get hurt. And if it looks like you're in peril, I'll step in and have the match stopped." Gelimer reassured him. "So, what do you say, want to fight or do I have to put an ad in the school paper for a new test pilot?"

Before Jayden could answer, Honne sleeved covered hands grabbed Jayden's hand. "Don't just give up, you have your IS so you have to at least try."

With both wanting him to fight, how could he refuse? "All right, I'll do it. I'll fight seriously." The boy gave in.

"Excellent. Who knows? With that attitude, you just might win it all."

"Do your best Jaydee!" Honne cheered.

Jayden groaned, letting his head fall into his hands. "Hey Gelimer? Be honest. Do I even have a chance against Cecilia and the others?"

"I'd say your chances are somewhere between slim and none." Gelimer bluntly spoke. "And truth be told, your opponents are older, more experienced, smarter, stronger, more focused-"

"Does this list have an end?"

"Eventually, but I'll cut it short. The point though, is that you have something that she doesn't, and that is me and my IS!" He pointed a finger at himself to reaffirm his statement.

"So, it's finally ready then?" Jayden hadn't had a chance to investigate his IS yet since he got it.

"90 percent." Gelimer admitted.

"90 percent?" Jayden stared at Gelimer.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. I've been working double time to get it finished. The only thing I need to finish are the weapons, which I should be able to implement them in a few days' time. But defiantly before your IS battle. Everything other than that is ready to go. The armor is ready, and Edel Gleam can take to the sky."

Jayden seemed confused. "Edel Gleam?"

"Your IS… D-did you not know the name of your IS!?"

"I prefer to call it Nova Union."

"That sounds like a better name." Honne agreed.

"Its name is… bah it doesn't matter." He figured it would be a waste of time to argue over the name. "Tell you what, you call it your nickname and I'll call it by its official name." Gelimer rubbed his temples on his forehead. "Kids these days don't appreciate hard work I tell yah. Now all you must do is suck less. To do that, you need someone to teach you. Since I'll be busy getting accommodated to the school and teaching lessons, it falls to you to find someone."

"Where am I going to find an IS tutor?" He considered looking for that third year girl he met earlier. If only he'd gotten her name.

"Ooh ooh!" Honne bounced up and down, raising her hand excitedly. "I can teach Jaydee!"

Jayden did a double take. "Come again?"

"There you go. Tutor found." Gelimer pointed out. "Congratulations, you're now Jayden's IS tutor." Gelimer used his famous technique of hiring someone he just met.

But still, Honne? With her attitude and that sleepy look on her face, you wouldn't think she was an IS student if not for the Academy uniform she as wearing. Then again, she was an IS student, so she had to at least know the basics about the Infinite Stratos to get into the school.

"May you teach him well Ms.…. eh…." He snapped his fingers trying to recall her name.

"Honne"

"Honne! Of course. He's not very good or experienced but please take care of him." Gelimer gave Honne the go-ahead to do as she pleased.

"Come on Jaydee. Let's go book a time slot to use the arena to . And afterwards you can buy me snacks!" Honne pulled Jayden along despite the boy's protests, all while Gelimer waved them goodbye.

Once they were gone, the new professor turned towards the window. The sun was beginning to set over the ocean as the rays glistened over the water.

"Please train hard Jayden, I need a strong lab rat to gather data if I'm going to create the greatest IS unit there ever was."

/-/

In the arena scheduled for the class rep tournament. Cecilia steadied her breathing as she took aim in her IS with her laser rifle. A multitude of targets appeared on the other side of the arena from where she flew.

She fired just enough rounds from her laser rifle, one for each target. When she was finished, each target had a hole located dead center. Her aim was as impeccable as ever. She twirled her rifle at her side, having it end in the sideways positioned. It was the way how she liked to present herself.

"That should be enough practice for today." Cecilia dematerialized her IS into it stand-by form and returned to the locker room to get dressed.

Cecilia envisioned how the tournament would go with herself as the winner of it all. She could see it now. Both Ichika and Jayden groveling at her feet when she defeated them in combat. Oh, how they would plead and beg for forgiveness. They'd be crying blue tears by the end of the tournament. All the while she'd smirk as the boys fully realized how foolish it was to challenge them. And once she finished gloating, she would-

_Achoo!_

"Who's there!?" Cecilia looked around for the owner of that sneeze.

From behind the row of lockers came another female student peaked her head out, wiping her nose on her sleeve.

"What are you doing here?"

The girl came out from behind the lockers. She was wearing the standard IS uniform with short sleeves and a long skirt. She nervously fidgeted with her ponytail, unsure of what to say.

"Wait a second… don't tell me. You're a pervert here to gawk at me aren't you!" Cecilia covered her body despite the fact she was already fully clothed.

"No! That's not why I'm here. I mean you do have a beautiful body and honestly, I'm a little jealous of your breast size…"

"I knew it!"

"But that's not why I'm here." She cried out. She fiddled about with her thumbs trying to think of how to say what she wanted without making this worse. All the while, Cecilia noticed this girl looked familiar.

"Hold on, I remember you. You're one of my classmates. Yua Tani was it?"

She gave a nod.

"What brings you here to see me? Come on out with it."

"I wanted to thank you!" Yua blurted out. "For standing up to those guys."

Cecilia raised an eyebrow.

Yua took a deep breath. "I'm really not fond of men and I didn't want them leading our class. They were going to make us look like idiots. Then when I saw you call them out, I felt inspired seeing you stand up to them. So, I really wanted you to become our class rep."

She could understand why someone would look up to a girl like herself, but there was one thing that seemed off though. "You say that, but I find that hard to believe. You recommend Shinonono for class president if I recall. If you wanted me to win, why nominate her?"

"I only did that to help you. With four people in the running, I thought Ms. Orimura would change the battle to a tournament structure. And even if she didn't, it wouldn't make much difference for you. You're a cadet representative with a personal IS, making you the strongest in our class. You can beat anyone but if it was a battle royal, I thought those nasty guys would team up and use a dirty tactic to win."

"That is true. It wouldn't make much difference if I faced them at the same time or one by one. But why did you do that?"

Yua's body tensed up, as though recalling something painful. "Because men don't belong here." She answered.

Cecilia's lips grew into a smile. Finally, someone was making sense. "You don't know how joyful I am to hear someone else say those words. It's as though every student here loses their senses when around one of those boys." Of all the men she knew, they were worthless and greedy monsters. Only interested in stealing her family's fortune, or like be just like her father who would always go along with her mother's whims. A useless man like her father is what Cecilia wanted to avoid at all costs.

"I've noticed. While most girls aren't used to men in this era, they shouldn't be giving those men their fancies just because they're different. They don't deserve it." Yua said. "Not all girls are like that. A few girls around here agree with you and I that the men don't belong."

"Don't worry Yua. I, Cecilia Alcott will show them how the world works and where they truly belong." Cecilia could already hear them groveling at her feet. "Rest assured Yua, the class rep tournament will end with me as the winner, I'll promise you that. Then those men will know their place" Cecilia was sure enough in her victory to make that promise. Saying her goodbye's, Cecilia left to go to her room to retire for the night.

Yua leaned against the wall of lockers, her eyes closed as she sat down, hugging her body as she began to shake. Memories of men in her life flashed before her eyes as she clutched herself. "Show those men that they don't belong anywhere in our world Ms. Alcott."

/-/

Time passed and soon the day of the class rep tournament had arrived. In favor of lessons, the students who were not competing sat amongst the stadium's bleachers for a front row view. The event had gained so much popularity that other teachers allowed their students to watch claiming it teach them more to see an IS battle up close rather than read about it in a book. Bleachers were packed as everyone waited for the battles to get underway.

Ichika and Houki were waiting in the stadium's hanger while Jayden and Cecilia were donning their IS suits in the changing areas

"Say Houki?"

"What is it?"

"Looking back, you put me through some tough training." Ichika recalled the push-ups, sit-ups, kendo training, and more that Houki put him through.

"Yes, and you did well."

"Thank you. So then…. What happened to the part where you teach me the basics of the IS?"

Houki turned her face away from Ichika. "Well you didn't have an IS. So, it couldn't be helped."

"But there's still those IS theories and other things you could have taught me, right?"

Houki didn't have an answer. Before Ichika could inquire further, someone called out to them.

"Ichika, Houki!" Jayden called out, heading over to them, wearing his two pieces IS suit. "Sorry it took me so long, I had trouble getting this thing on." He pulled at his suit, showcasing how tight it was.

Ichika and Jayden both wore a two piece IS suit that left their mid-rifts exposed. Ichika's was a dark blue while Jayden's was a dark green.

Houki's IS suit was a standard school suit. It was a darker shade of blue compared to Ichika's. To be honest, it looked like a school swimsuit if you removed some of the material around the arms. It clung her body quite well, especially with how big her chest was.

"What's the point of these things?" Ichika pulled his elastic suit, letting it snap back into place as he let go. "They can really stretch. Are they supposed to help us with the IS?"

Houki rolled her eyes. "The IS suits are meant to help the pilot control the IS. It helps sending signals from the body to the IS to allow a faster response time. The material is thin to prevent anything from getting in the way as the signals travel through the body to the Infinite Stratos. The difference compared to normal clothes isn't by much, but every little bit can help when controlling an IS at high speeds."

The two boys stood there, dumbfounded that Houki answered with clarity and made it easy to understand.

"You knew all that about IS Suits and didn't teach me any of it?" Ichika looked at Houki.

Once again, Houki turned away.

Meanwhile Jayden was having trouble adverting his eyes from Houki. More specifically, her IS suit. The way how it clung to her skin was very distracting.

"And just where do you think you're looking?" She covered her chest and gave Jayden a death glare. Even Ichika wasn't looking happy with Jayden's behavior towards his childhood friend.

"I have…. No idea what you're talking about." Jayden turned away from both of them

"My, you all actually showed up. And here I was thinking you'd all run and hide." A new voice spoke, owned by England's representative cadet.

"Cecilia Alcott" Houki said with distain in her voice.

Cecilia folded her arms; from her attitude it was easy to see she was looking down on her competition.

"Don't look so smug. We've all been practicing for this." Ichika held his ground. "None of us are going to go down without a fight."

Cecilia laughed like an old noble woman. "You honestly believe a few days of practice will make any difference?"

"Well, there's always a chance." Jayden pointed out. Technically 0.1% was still a chance.

"Glad to see you're all in one place." Gelimer appeared, putting a halt to their conservation. There was a pleasant grin on his face as he straightened his white lab coat.

"Gelimer!"

"Mr. Brighton!"

"Professor!"

"All correct. You can call me whatever you like, I'm not too picky about my name. And thank you for all gathering, it saves me the trouble of hunting you down. And good on you all for showing up. Now then, I'll go over the rules of the class rep tournament."

Everyone listened for instructions.

"Here's how this will work. In a moment that screen up there will shuffle your faces around and whoever you're next to is your opponent. You win and move on, lose and your out. Last one standing will win the position of class rep of class 1-1. As for your battles we'll go by standard rules. Reduce the shield energy of your opponent to zero and you win." Gelimer paused to take a breath. "And just to make sure you all try your hardest, quitting isn't an option. Doing so will result in a punishment" He eyed Jayden as he said the last part. "Any questions."

Houki was the only one who raised her hand. "Sensei, what do we do if one of us doesn't have an IS to use?" Herself and Ichika were the only two who didn't have a personal IS unit.

"Mr. Orimura, your IS that the government provided for you is here and almost ready. Ms. Yamada is seeing to it. As for you Ms. Shinonono, I've taken the liberty to prepare a training IS for you to use. No need to thank me, just doing my job." He gave Houki a smile. Jayden seemed confused. Was Gelimer acting _pleasant_ to a Shinonono?

No one had any further questions.

"Good. And what great timing, it looks like the pairings are about to be determined." Gelimer pointed out. The screen displayed all the names of the combatants. Suddenly the names began shuffling about. Everyone watched as the names randomly changed places, each student keeping an eye on their position. Shortly, they began to slow down until they came to a complete stop.

**Houki Shinonono vs Cecilia Alcott**

**Ichika Orimura vs Jaydan Sylvan**

Jayden breathed a sigh of relief. He managed to avoid Cecilia, at least for now.

Ichika peered down at Jayden

Cecilia folded her arms in disappointment. "While I was hoping to out both boys, I can settle for one.".

Houki didn't seem to care about the pairings at all.

"Don't worry Ms. Shinonono. I won't make this take too much time." Cecilia's earrings began to glow and in a flash of light her IS materialized around her. The English girl now stood in the exo-suit of her personal IS unit. Cecilia smiled as she literally looked down on her competition and took off to the arena.

"So that's her IS." Ichika had to admit, it was a powerful looking machine and it may be his future opponent. He watched as she flew out the exit of the hanger into the arena.

"Ichika and Jayden, you two go to the control room to watch the match with Ms. Orimura." Gelimer pointed the boys towards a door. "Come along, Shinonono. Let's not keep everyone waiting." He walked deeper into the hangar prompting Houki to follow.

"Good luck Houki." Ichika called out.

"Kick her butt!" Jayden gave a thumbs up.

The two guys gave their words of encouragement before they made their way to the control room. Unknown to them, Houki was smiling from their words, her cheeks turned a light shade of red. This was a battle she couldn't lose.

/-/

Houki and Cecilia met near the middle of the arena, flying about 50 feet up in the air. They hovered over their designated starting positions, staring down one another waiting for the match to begin.

The machine Cecilia was piloting was known as Blue Tears. It was a bright blue machine with four rear fin armors on the back of it. It almost looked as royal as a knight that would serve its king. Cecilia looked to be wielding a large long gun that appeared to be a seven-caliber unique laser gun as its choice of weapon.

Houki wobbled a bit but managed to stabilize herself and hold her position. Her IS unit was the Academy standard training unit known as a uchigane. A 2nd generation frame that focused on defense and was easy for beginners to use. Its color scheme was grey with heavy armor around the legs and shoulder, almost resembling the look of a samurai.

"Ms. Shinonono, I don't have any feelings of ill-will towards you, but I must become the class rep. However, since the outcome of our battle is already decided, I'll offer you a chance to surrender. I won't think any less of you for it."

"I won't surrender!" Houki stood her ground. Or rather, hovered over it.

Cecilia seemed confused. A personal IS against a standard training model was more akin to a slaughter rather than a battle. "Do you really believe that your uchigane can match the power of my Blue Tears? It's obvious that I'm going to win no matter what. So, save yourself the humiliation and surrender now."

Houki didn't give an answer. All she did was hold out her blade as she would in a kendo match. She had to do as much damage to her as she could to reduce the strain on Ichika.

3…

2…

1…

The buzzer rung for the match to start.

Cecilia started quick on the draw, aiming her rifle and firing at Houki before the Japanese girl had a chance to react.

Houki was flown back several feet from the impact. Her shield energy decreased from the blast as Cecilia fired twice more with each shot connecting.

"Using a close-range weapon to challenge me? What a joke." Cecilia taunted, ceasing her fire to allow Houki to recover. She didn't want the battle to be too one-sided lest she get bored. Once Houki stabilized herself, she flew headed for Cecilia in a zig-zag pattern to try to evade Cecilia's riffle shots. With her only weapon being a Katana, Houki had to get in close if she wanted to inflict any damage.

Cecilia reacted by taking aim and firing once again at Houki. Despite Houki's flying pattern she was able to land most of her attacks at her enemy. She was used to hitting moving targets as a representative cadet. As Houki flew towards Cecilia, she slowed her speed by half to give herself enough time to dodge the lasers from Cecilia's starlight rifle. Not being able to get any closer without taking fire, Houki was forced to back off.

"_Dang it! I need a way to get close to her!"_ Houki thought for a moment to consider her options, then stopped thinking as she had to dodge another laser. Cecilia wouldn't give her any time to think.

Cecilia smiled as kept Houki in the scope of her rifle. She felt like this was too easy, probably because it was. The uchigane had no ranged weaponry and was a defensive type of IS. If there was distance between herself and Houki, there was no threat of retaliation.

The match continued like this for some time with Houki getting shot by Cecilia as all she could do was dodge. Her training IS lacked the speed to close the distance quick enough to retaliate before Cecilia could shoot her.

A shot, and another, and another, and another, and another headed Houki's way.

"Just surrender Ms. Shinonono, it's clear you can't win this." Cecilia taunted. Once she had Houki in her scope Cecilia unleashed another rally of lasers at the Japanese girl.

All Houki could do was dodge once again. Not being fast enough, some of the blasts hit their mark as her shield energy was reduced to about 25% percent. If this kept up, the match would be over in less than a minute. She had to do something.

The laser hit Houki's sword, but her shield energy didn't deplete. Houki realized this and she came up with a plan. There was no guarantee it would work but it was better than nothing.

She flew forward heading straight for Cecilia at the highest speed her IS could muster. Cecilia smirked. There was no way she could miss a target moving in a straight line. Aiming her rifle, she fired at Houki's shoulder.

_Clang_

The blast had hit but according to the numbers on Cecilia's holo-screen, Houki's shield energy was still the same.

"What!"

The flat end of her katana had taken the laser Cecilia fired and hadn't shown any sign of damage. Whatever the katana was made of, it was surprisingly sturdy.

Houki held her katana in front of herself as she headed for the now shocked Cecilia. She blocked Cecilia's laser shots one by one as she closed the distance. The hyper sensors of the IS improved the senses of the pilot, allowing Houki to react fast enough to counter the lasers that came her way. Soon the two girls were within swinging distance of one another.

"AHHH!"

Houki yelled a battle cry as her katana struck Cecilia dead on, it cut into Cecilia's shield as her shield energy began to drop. Cecilia flew back from the impact, batted away from the force of the swing. Her shield energy took a hit, but to Cecilia her pride and ego took more damage. Houki now had a smirk on her face, she had managed to land a hit on Cecilia.

Cecilia's eye twitched as anger washed across her face. If her perfect victory was now impossible, she would take her anger out on this peasant. It was time for the special weapons of Blue Tears.

On the wings of Cecilia's IS, four bit like drones flew came flying out at Houki, each one from a different angle.

"What the hell are those things?" Houki got into a defensive position keeping her sword close as the drones circled about her. Whatever they were, Houki knew it couldn't be good.

The drones surrounded Houki as their tips began to glow. They then unleashed a barrage of lasers upon Houki. Houki couldn't escape as Cecilia flew straight back all while keeping her eyes on her drones controlling them to attack whichever direction her enemy's weapon wasn't facing. Houki tried to block them all but stopping one blast only gave room for multiple to connect on her. Any attempt to attack them missed as they were too small and fast. It like a grizzly bear trying to swat away a swarm of hornets.

She tried flying away, but those drones had a higher top speed than her training IS, allowing them to easily catch up. No matter how she tried to block or dodge, Houki didn't have the speed or attack power necessary to handle Cecilia's bits.

Watching her target squirm, Cecilia decided enough was enough. It was time for the finale. The bits began to move in a circular pattern around Houki wherever she flew. Once they were in position, Cecilia unleashed everything she had onto Houki, her bits and her starlight rifle all at once. The blasts of the barrage from Cecilia's drone bits and starlight rifle forced Houki to fall to the ground after blasting her too many times.

_CRASH_

Houki collided with the ground, the force dragged her across ground until she ran out of momentum. She laid there looking over the info on her unit. Her IS had a little shield energy remaining but not much. Just one more hit would deplete the last of her shield energy. Her sword had been thrown about when she fell, it laid somewhere across the arena floor.

Above her, Cecilia was in position, ready to fire at Houki.

She knew it was over.

"Just a few hits." Houki told herself.

That was the best she could do against Cecilia. She wanted to do more, to make it easier for Ichika but the end, she barley did anything. Houki knelt on the ground, accepting her fate.

Cecilia took aim at the dead center of Houki's IS. With her target locked on she pulled the trigger. The laser fired straight at Houki. The numbers representing her shield energy depleted until it reached zero.

The buzzer rang, indicating the match was over.

**Thank you all for reading chapter 4. It was my first-time writing a battle, so I hoped you all liked it. Next time we conclude the class rep tournament, who's going to face Cecilia, and will they be able to win the end? **

**Thank you for all for those who reviewed, and favorited/followed my story. It gives me the drive to improve my writing. Look forward to the next chapter everybody.**

**Keep your sense of wonder everybody.**

**Omake**

Another class was finished in class 1-1. According to the schedule, it was time for the next subject, Physical Education. The class where the muscles were exercised instead than the brain.

"We'll be holding our PE classes inside the IS arena. Everyone be there in 15 minutes. Don't be late or there will be punishment." Chifuyu explained. "By the way. Make sure you remember your IS suit. If you forget your IS suit, you'll wear your PE school swimsuit instead. And if you even forget that I'll make you attend the class in your underwear."

"What?!" The whole class screamed.

Every student imagined the humiliation of being in their undies in front of their fellow classman. It was like the nightmare where you were in school in your underwear, only real. Humiliation or Chifuyu's punishment. No one could decide which was worse.

"But my uniform's all the way in my dorm room!"

"I think I left mine in the dryer."

"I haven't even unpacked it yet!"

"Are you serious Ms. Orimura?" Cecilia called out. She was sure her IS suit was in her assigned locker… pretty sure at least. "You can't do this!"

While everyone panicked, Ichika was the only one who seemed calm. "That's got to be a scare tactic to intimidate freshman. I mean, come on! It's got to be a joke, right?"

"Last year Ms. Yamada taught PE in her underwear twice." Chifuyu said. Next to her, Ms. Yamada was turning bright red just from recalling the event. "PE starts in 10 minutes."

"EVERYONE FOR THEMSELVES."

Every student bolted from their desk to grab or find their IS suit. Or at the very least, their school swimsuit. They pushed and shoved to make sure they had as much time as possible. From the sides Chifuyu watched the chaos unfold as her class scrambled to make it out the door.

"Ms. Orimura. Did you really have to tell them that?" Yamada had repressed those memories long ago. Even though she was a teacher, no one could take her seriously when she was teaching almost naked.

"Just think of it as insurance to make sure none of them forget their uniform in the future."

As an IS pilot you always had to be ready at a moment's notice when duty called. Once the room was empty, the two teachers made their way to the female locker room to get chanced.

"Do you think everyone will be at the stadium in their IS uniform Ms. Orimura?"

"500 yen says that at least three of them show up in a swimsuit or underwear."

"Make it 1,000 and you're on."

**Ah, the days when you forgot your gym clothes for PE class in school and had to wear clothes provided by the school. Good times. Plus, even teachers have to have fun once in a while right?**


	5. Class Rep Finale

**Thank you all for being patient. Life caught up with me and I lost a lot of time that could've been working on this. Here we go, the conclusion to the class rep mini tournament.**

"You did really well out there Houki!" Ichika placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It was a good match."

Houki didn't even raise her head. She kept staring at the hangar's floor, too ashamed to look anyone in the eye. The match between her and Cecilia felt more akin to a slaughter than a battle. She looked pathetic in front of everyone, especially Ichika.

"It was a good fight Houki." Jayden commented. "You did the best you could and that's all that matters."

"Personally, I thought it was pretty awful." Gelimer commented, and he was looking extremely satisfied. It was as though he just had a 24-hour session with the world's greatest therapist. One may feel like that way after seeing the little sister of the person they hate the most get humiliated.

Both boys gave the scientist a look that screamed 'you're-not-helping.'

"What? You want to give her a participation medal? From the way she fought, it's clear she didn't even bother thinking up a stragety. Just keeping hitting her until she dies. I was truly a plan that couldn't be fathomed by the greatest minds of our generation." Gelimer mocked.

"Gelimer!" Jayden roared.

He ignored Jayden and walked up to Houki, staring down at her.

"Do my words sting Ms. Shinonono? That's because they're true." Gelimer finished talking, only to stop as he figured out how to deliver the icing on his vengeful cake. "But you did prove one thing Ms. Shinonono, you're definitely nothing like your sister."

Houki's head somehow managed to sink lower.

Ichika clenched his fist, he wasn't going to stand for someone making his friend feel this way. Especially when she was already feeling down.

"Ichika! Ichika! Ichika!"

Before Ichika could give the professor a piece of his mind, the vice homeroom teacher Maya Yamada came running into the hanger. She looked like she was about to tumble over from her mismatched steps and lack of breath. She tried speaking but it was a little difficult to understand her when she stopped for a breath every syllable.

"Are you all right Ms. Yamada?" Ichika asked. Ms. Yamada could only pant as a reply.

"Ms. Yamada, please calm down." Gelimer insisted. "Take a deep breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in." Gelimer instructed as Maya followed along. "And now breathe in." The woman held her breath waiting for Gelimer's command, all the while he smiled maliciously. Maya's face was starting to change color due to lack of oxygen.

_Smack_

Chifuyu appeared and whacked Gelimer on the head. Maya was once again catching her breath.

"Mr. Brighton, I suggest you treat your fellow staff members with the respect they are deserved." Chifuyu helped her colleague settle down while the white-haired man rubbed the impacted area of his head.

"It's here! Mr. Orimura's personal IS!" Maya announced. As she did, the hangar door behind her opened, revealing an IS unit. A large dull grey unit was in view of everyone now as they all stared.

"A personal IS?" Ichika asked. "But I don't have one, whose giving me it?"

"The Japanese government." "Chifuyu answered. "They wanted to give you a personal IS unit in order to gather data, to see if there are any differences when a male uses an IS compared to a female."

"That's really Ichika's IS?" The three students looked in awe, but the most star struck was Ichika.

"That's right, this is Ichika Orimura's personal IS unit. The Byakushiki" Maya announced.

"Byakushiki…" Ichika repeated.

"Well It's about time. Sylvan, Orimura, hurry up and get ready. We've delayed the match long enough." Chifuyu ordered.

"Right now! But…"

"HURRY UP!" The three teachers yelled as their voices overlapped with one another. The staff were all on the same page.

"Meet ya outside Ichika." Jayden ran for the entrance of the hanger. With a cry of 'Nova Union' his body was covered in a flash of white light as he deployed his IS, and flew out to the arena. Ichika was too mesmerized by his own IS to pay attention. He kept staring at the unit which was now his own.

"Good luck Orimura." Maya wished him as the teachers headed into the command room to watch,

He put his hand on its frame, realizing it wasn't like the first time he touched an IS. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it just felt different to him. Whatever it was, it felt familiar to him. Ichika settled into his IS. He couldn't explain it, but he felt like Byakushi and himself were linked somehow. Like they were fused into one.

He had to think on it later, now it was time to fight.

"Houki."

"Wh-What?"

"I'm going."

"Ah…mm, do your best Ichika…"

After bending down slightly, the Byakushiki lightly floated in the air and flew out to the arena.

/-/

Out in the arena. Both boys floated in the air in their IS units, watching as the screen counted down from 60. Neither one was sure why the count started from so high, but it gave the two guys a chance to get a good look at each other's Infinite Stratos unit.

Ichika's IS was grey. Pure grey with no decorations whatsoever. It had a decent amount of armor on the frames with floating shoulder guards. Most of its armor was on the Legs as well as the arms up to the elbow.

Jayden's IS was a pure dark green color, as though someone had dumped green paint all over and called it a day. It was a thin frame with armor located on the arms, legs, and torso.

Overall Ichika looked a bit nervous, testing out the movement on his IS while Jayden seemed calm. Unlike his time in an IS in America, this wasn't a fight for survival and the risk of danger was low. He felt okay

"So how does it feel flying?" Jayden asked. "Pretty great huh?"

Ichika moved around a bit, getting use to the machine. "It feels kind of strange, And I can see in every direction around me."

"I think it has to do with the IS sending information to the pilot's brain to make it happen. Or something like that." Jayden tried to explain, not being completely sure on how it worked either. "I'll wish ya good luck Ichika but don't get too confident. The one whose gonna take down Cecilia will be me."

"We'll just see about that." Ichika smirked. He had no intention of just going town easy.

As the countdown neared the end, both guys summoned their weapons.

"Just a sword? Well it's better than fighting bare handed." The blade appeared in his hands. It looked pretty ordinary but it least it was a weapon he was familiar with. Ichika got into the same kendo pose he used when practicing with Houki.

Gelimer had only installed the weapons in his IS this morning so he was about to learn what weapon his IS used. Through the menu, Jayden deployed a weapon. A mid-sized buckler shield appeared in his right arm, large enough to cover about half of the IS. Like his IS, it was also dark green although lighter in color than the IS. He then deployed his other weapons.

…

…

…

…

…

Nothing happened.

There were no other weapons or equipment on Nova Union besides the shield. Jayden realized he had to fight with a shield as his weapon. Which meant that Gelimer made a shield, and thought it was a good idea to leave him with that.

Jayden's curse on Gelimer was drowned out by the buzzer signaling to begin the match.

Ichika took the initiative, taking his weapon and slashing across, forcing Jayden to block him. Ichika then attacked again, with a horizontal slash forcing Jayden to fly back to dodge. Once Ichika missed, Jayden flew back in with his shield in both hands to crash it into Ichika.

"Woah!"

Ichika parried with his weapon. The sword and shield clashed against one another with both of their wielders trying to overpower the other.

"I never took you for the guy who would use a shield to fight."

"Yeah…. Me neither." Jayden cursed Gelimer once again.

Neither one was making progress in overpowering the other so Jayden decided on a different method to attack. He pulled back causing Ichika to push himself forward with his momentum and swung his shield again, this time it collided with Ichika's IS. First blood had been scored by Jayden.

Quick to retaliate, Ichika winded back his sword over his head. With a yell he swung down to attack while Jayden was close. Ichika landed a 'men' strike, a long slashing stroke connecting with the head of Jayden's IS.

Each boy pulled back and swung forward with their respective weapons. Sword and Shield clashed once again, neither side willing to give inch. The two boys shouted as they gave it their all to breakthrough to the other.

/-/

"Ooh! Both Jayden and Ichika are amazing!"

Maya exclaimed while watching the live broadcast on the screen in the control room. Gelimer, Chifuyu, Houki, and Cecilia were all with her watching the battle. Albeit someone were more interested than others.

"They're below average at best." Cecilia remarked. Despite the boring performance, she watched to gather as much information as she could on her future opponent. After all, she'd be facing the winner of this match. So far, it was boring to watch. Despite the mundanity, Houki and Cecilia's eyes were glued to the screen.

"Well it's not like they can do much." The man raised an eyebrow as Ichika swung at Jayden, landing a direct hit on the center of his IS. "Each of them only have a melee weapon and no other equipment to work with. This battle is basically a glorified slug fest." A small smile graced his face as he watched Jayden avoid one of Ichika's attacks.

"Speaking of melee weapons, Jayden's happens to a shield." Maya looked over at Gelimer. "Why is his primary weapon a shield when there are much better offensive choices like a sword or a gun?" Maya asked, generally curious.

"While swords and guns are seen as the main primary offensive weapon, I considered what else could be used. Something that people wouldn't expect. Most people are creating the next weapon to inflect damage, yet very few individuals have a say to stop of defend against the enemy's weapons outside of dodge and avoid. Besides as the old saying goes, a good offense is a good defense."

It did make a little bit of sense. Most weapons made were designed to take down the enemy as soon as possible. Maya could see why he would make something like that, even if she still believed an offensive weapon would be better.

"Not to mention I've seen Jayden fight, and he's more of a defensive type. I'm surprised he didn't try to weasel out of this." Gelimer added.

"…"

Chifuyu folded her arms under her bust. She was seemed pretty irritated watching the battle on the screen.

"Is something the matter Ms. Orimura?" Cecilia asked. Her teacher looked more annoyed than usual.

"They're both making so many mistakes, leaving themselves wide open. And neither of them know how to capitalize on the other's errors."

"Considering their skill levels, that's to be expected." Gelimer remarked.

"Regardless, one of them has to win sooner or later." It was a fact that Maya pointed out. Regardless of how long it would take, the adults continued watching, some silently cheering on their favorite to win.

Throughout the match, Houki's eyes never left the screen. Unaware of the commotion behind her, she watched Ichika as he dodged out of the way of Jayden's kick. She clutched her hands into fists as she watched him fight. Her eyes shifted nervously as she watched.

"Ichika…"

/-/

"ARRRRGGGGHHH!"

"HAAAAHHH!"

They were matching each other blow for blow. When one struck, the other was able to counterattack. When one blocked, they struggled to overpower the other. The fight itself was pretty basic as both combatants only has a melee weapon to use.

The boys continued their battle for about 10 minutes, each of their shield energy were below 25. The next attack would decide the winner.

Jayden moved to the left to avoid one of Ichika's slashes and dove down to dodge another one. Over the course of the battle, Ichika had gotten use to the IS, learning how to fly decently and control himself. Jayden was forced on the defensive as Ichika's sword out ranged his shield.

"TAKE THIS!"

Ichika was in the act of rushing him down, leaving Jayden to do nothing more than defend by putting his shield in the way. The sword continued to slash across the shield to no effect. Through the onslaught, Jayden kept up his resilience, pushing his shield out in front of him. Sooner or later Ichika would have to stop and that would be his time to go for the kill.

They continued like this for quite some time, but neither side was making progress. Ichika continued swinging but even he was starting to feel fatigue from his constant attacks. Suddenly his mind came up with a plan, a risky one that could leave himself open to attack but would give him a shot at victory if it worked.

Ichika ripped his sword free slashed across, only rather than aim at the shield he stopped it halfway, creating a feint which Jayden fell for as he held his shield out. The sudden force from Ichika knocked the shield out of Jayden's grasp dropping it to the ground below.

"NO!"

Jayden watched as his shield dropped further and further away from him. With his shield knocked away, Ichika saw his chance. He flung himself forward and struck with all his might. His blade scratched against the energy shield, ripping into Jayden's energy shield. A big fat zero displayed on screen regarding his shield energy and the match was at its end.

/-/

After the match, Gelimer dragged Jayden to a corner of the hanger for a polite little chat.

"WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE!?"

"I Lost."

"THAT PART WAS OBSVIOUS! HOW DID YOU LOSE!?"

"BECAUSE 'SOMEONE' GAVE ME A SHIELD FOR A WEAPON!"

"Oh sure, blame the weapon." Gelimer rolled his eyes.

"Hey! The battle was close, give me some credit for almost winning."

"Close only counts for horseshoes and grenades. You just can't admit it was your own lack of skill, can you?"

"Again, my weapon was a shield! I need a weapon to fight, and you made my primary weapon a shield! The only weapon that's used to defend instead of attack! For someone who claims to be so smart, you make a lot of stupid decisions."

Things got rather heated as they started to bring up each other's faults. While Jayden and Gelimer were busy arguing over whose fault this was, Houki was able to get close to Ichika.

"Ichika! You did it. You won." Houki smiled. Despite how close the battle looked; Houki knew Ichika would win in the end. Not because she believed in him but because of her training of course. Definitely the training… is what Houki told herself. Ichika was just glad to see that Houki was feeling better now.

"Are you feeling okay Ichika?" Chifuyu asked.

"Yes Chifuyu-nee. I'm all right."

"I see." Chifuyu looked relieved. "Congratulations on your first victory."

Ichika mouth grinned ear to ear. She didn't express it often, but he could tell Chifuyu was worried about him. The fact that she used his first name and didn't even call him out for calling her Chifuyu-nee was proof of it.

"Why Ms. Orimura is that concern you're showing for your brother? I guess your iron clad heart has a soft spot somewhere under all that metal." Gelimer joked. This had to be the first time he had seen Chifuyu when she wasn't 100% professional. "I thought teachers weren't supposed to play favorites."

"Is that so Mr. Brighton? Then tell me, who was one smiling whenever Sylvan landed a blow onto Orimura." Chifuyu retorted, smirking as everyone had their eyes on Gelimer as he squirmed.

"I….er… have no idea what you're talking about Ms. Orimura." Gelimer turned away.

Jayden felt touched that Gelimer did cheer him. He did care in own way, or as close you could get to caring.

"Look! It doesn't matter." Gelimer finally faced them, his cheeks now a light shade of red. "What's important is that Mr. Orimura doesn't get too comfortable, you still have one more round to fight. And it's the one you don't want to lose."

"Cecilia Alcott." Her outbursts and insults replayed themselves in Ichika's mind.

"Yes. That is her name. Now, may I borrow your IS Ichika?" Gelimer asked. "I need it charge it for your next battle."

"Charge it?" Ichika looked at his IS which had taken the form of a bulky bracelet.

"At the moment, your IS is in its stand-by form but all you have to do it call it and it'll deploy right away." Maya explained. "While in that form it will manually recover shield energy over time, which could take anywhere from a few hours to days depending on the damage it took. However, like all good things in life, there's a way to cheat around it. We can give the shield energy from another unit to your Byakushi through a power transfer, this way we can begin the next battle post-haste."

Ichika handed over Byakushi to Gelimer. He inspected it for a few seconds before putting it away in his coat pocket. "Thank you. This shouldn't take long." He took the Byakushi and left to find an IS unit.

"Shinonono, Sylvan, you're welcome to watch the battle in the command room if you wish." Maya told them as she and Chifuyu headed over there. The three students were now on their own with a short amount of time before the battle would begin.

"So Ichika, do you think you can win? You thought of a plan right to beat Cecilia, right?" Jayden asked.

"I mean I'll try my best but you saw how good Cecilia was. Besides, my IS right now is barley better than a standard training unit. At least I think it is."

Jayden sighed. "So you're going to wing it?" They really didn't want Cecilia to win but they neither one had a plan to beat her. At this rate, Cecilia would keep Ichika afar with her ranged weaponry and shoot him down till he was out of shield energy.

"Umm… guys." Houki cut in. "When I was fighting Cecilia, near the end of the battle, I noticed something about her."

Houki told them what she noticed when fighting Cecilia. Both boys' eyes widened hearing this information. She explained everything noticed, including whatever theories she had on Cecilia's IS. Both boys were stunned at what Houki had noticed. Things that neither of them had paid attention to.

"You might be right Houki." Ichika remembered how Cecilia acted during the battle. Specifically, when those drones of hers were flying and shooting about.

"I never noticed until you brought it up. You're incredible Houki." Jayden said, making Houki look flustered.

"It's just something that I noticed, and It's only a hunch. I can't guarantee if it's true or not."

"Even so I'll keep an eye out for it." Ichika thanked Houki whose face was now blushing.

"Everything okay Houki? Your face is going red." Jayden leaned in for a closer look prompting Houki to push him away.

"You better not lose you Idiot." Houki reminded Ichika,

"I won't."

Regardless whether what Houki noticed was true or not, they had managed to come up with a plan for Ichika to take on Cecilia.

/-/

"Oh my, so you didn't run away after all." Cecilia snorted as she placed a hand on her hip. She defiantly gave off a princess vibe.

Ichika finally got a close hand look at Cecilia's IS. The bright blue machine, Blue Tears floated with Cecilia piloting it. It looked unique in that it had four rear armor fins on its back and the large laser rifle that Cecilia wielded. Watching Cecilia's last match, Ichika knew those fins were drones that she could command.

"In case you haven't noticed, you're way out of your league. Since I'm so generous, I'll give you one last chance." Cecilia offered.

"Chance?"

"To surrender. I watched you fight that little boy, and there's a clear gap in strength between us. I suggest you give up or you'll end up like your friend, battered and beaten into a shell of your former self."

Ichika scowled at Cecilia. "You can't possibly think I'd just give up after what you've done do you?"

"So be it. Just remember when you're face down on the floor, I offered you a way out."

The countdown reached zero and a buzzer rang commencing the match to start. Ichika immediately rocketed himself to Cecilia. He had to close the gap between him and her, ASAP.

"This is your brilliant plan? Challenging my long range IS in hand to hand combat?" It seemed like there was no end to this guy's stupidity. Cecilia aimed her starlight rifle and fired.

Ichika maneuvered left and right avoiding laser after laser from Cecilia's starlight rifle. Eventually, he couldn't get any closer without giving himself too little time to dodge. He leaned back to fly backwards as he continued to dodge lasers blasts. For every five or so shots he dodged, one managed to hit its mark.

"Come on… bring out your drones." Based on what Houki told him, Ichika may have a chance to get close to Cecilia. To do this, he needed her to bring those bit drones she used. For now, all he had to do was stay alive until she summoned them.

The battle continued like this for 15 minutes with Ichika being unable to get close to Cecilia. It appeared his speed was less than Houki in her training IS, giving Cecilia more than ample time to take aim at Ichika. So far, the battle was appearing to be quite one sided.

"Although you don't know when to give up, I must applaud you for lasting this long against my Blue Tears. No one has ever lasted this long against me in an official match." It sounded like she was giving him a compliment, but the way Cecilia said it made it seem more like an insult. "Of course, It's time I end this match."

Her bits flew out from the pointed ends of her IS. Four of them in total. The blue blasters flew to circle around Ichika as Cecilia guided them. All the while she remained in that one spot.

This was the chance he was waiting for. No longer focused on dodging, he put all his efforts in reaching Cecilia. Dodging the blasts that came form her drones, Ichika began moving towards Cecilia. However, in doing so, that meant tanking laser shots from the drones and Cecilia's rifle in the process. His shield energy was paying the price for his actions.

Ichika was getting closer and closer to Cecilia at the cost of his own shield energy. He was now below 200. He swerved left and right, managing to avoid the incoming lasers just by a hair. He was getting himself close enough to strike Cecilia.

Cecilia clenched her teeth. She was forced to fly back to keep enough distance between herself and Ichika. No longer firing her rifle, she focused entirely on keeping away from him. The drones continued to fire although now almost all of them were missing their target by quite the distance.

"Houki was right. Those bits of yours can only move and fire with your command. And while you're busy controlling them, you can't do much else." Ichika summarized. He swung at Cecilia only missing by a few feet this time.

Cecilia growled and fired her rifle. Ichika stopped the incoming shot with his sword. The distance between them was getting smaller and smaller. She lowered her head, putting her face out of view.

"YOU'RE WIDE OPEN!" Ichika rushed forth to get in range to attack Cecilia, gripping his blade to prepare his assault. Now that he was here, all he had to do was keep in that close range and rush her down. This was it. Ichika could actually win!

Unknown to him however, Cecilia was smirking under her long blond hair. She issued a command to her IS.

Two more bits had appeared from behind Cecilia, now directly parallel with Ichika.

"What!" Ichika quickly looked at the drones behind him with the 360-degree view given to him by Byakushi. Yup, there were four bits behind him. So why were there two more in front of him!?

The English pilot scoffed. "You think you're so clever, don't you? Well sorry to disappoint but my IS is equipped with six Blue Tears!" The two recently deployed drones charged and fired. With Ichika's current velocity, he couldn't turn in time to avoid them. The two lasers collided with him head on, enveloping Ichika in a thick cloud of smoke.

/-/

"ICHIKA...!"

Houki shouted out. Everyone watched the broad cast from the command room as the image showed the black smoke which scattered from Cecilia's bits connecting onto Ichika. Based on the remaining shield energy Ichika had left, those shots should've put him at zero.

"That's it then…" Maya sighed with disappointment. Just when Ichika was starting to do well.

"DANG IT!" Jayden stomped; This made Cecilia the winner. "It should've been me out there fighting, I'd have knocked out Drillhead."

"Don't flatter yourself Jayden." Gelimer rolled his eyes. "It wouldn't have made a difference if you were there instead. The skill gap between you boys and Cecilia is just too high for you to overcome as you are now."

While everyone squabbled, Chifuyu let out a snort. Despite everything, she looked as though everything was okay.

"That idiot got saved by his machine." Chifuyu hid a small smile from everyone else. The smoke began to vanish, revealing a pure white machine right inside of it. Now the real battle was about to begin.

/-/

The smoke had cleared out, although there was no buzzing sound. Which meant the match wasn't over? "What's this?" Ichika looked over his IS which had gone and reshaped itself. While before his IS was a dull white color, now it was pure white with a dark blue as a secondary color.

Cecilia's eyes widened. Even the crowd looked shocked with most of the students wondering what was going on. It seemed like Cecilia knew what was happening.

"That can't be. A first shift! You mean to tell me you fought up till now in a default setting!?"

"I guess so." He looked over his IS once more. "But it looks like this IS has finally become my own."

Cecilia scoffed. So, what if her opponent had achieved a first shift, she wouldn't let that stop her. "Don't get comfortable you peasant, the only difference now is that we're on equal footing. I'll still be the victor in this fight."

"Go down you irritating fool!" Cecilia unleashes a squad of four missiles heading towards Ichika. Ichika sped off to avoid them only this time he was keeping ahead of the missiles and not losing ground. His first shift had given him a boost in speed, precision, and control of the IS. Ichika deployed his weapon, although it looked… different.

The blade was now pure white, just like his IS. He read over its specs as he avoided the lasers coming at him. The blade was now named the Yukihira Nigata. It felt sleeker and more powerful to Ichika. Now he felt like he could properly fight back.

Cecilia took command of her six drones as they surrounded Ichika. She figured If they were close enough and they fired at the same time, Ichika shouldn't have enough time to dodge all of them.

Seeing himself surrounded, Ichika took note of all the drones' positions. Ichika boosted himself from one Bit drone to the next, cutting them down as though they were nothing but practice targets. Cecilia had underestimated the speed boost he acquired with the first shift and managed to dodge the lasers while striking a drone. As he struck his sword glowed a bright blue, extending its length as well. With one swipe he cut it in half, leaving a small explosion in its wake.

"That's impossible!" Cecilia stared with wide eyes. One of her drones had actually been taken out.

Ichika moved on to the next drone, dodging the laser fire and cutting it in two. One by one he clashed apart all the drones with his glowing blade until the only things left in the sky was himself and Cecilia.

For the first time in an official match. Cecilia was worried. All of her bits had been destroyed so quickly. Felled by that one glowing sword. The glow that resembled…. "No…. it can't be! Why is that weapon here!?" She could her body shiver as she now recognized that sword. The sword with a dangerous and deadly ability. A power that had sparked concern amongst official IS pilots.

Panic was all over Cecilia's face. She fired her starlight rifle only for him to block it with his sword almost effortlessly.

Ichika looked at Cecilia, wondering why she wasn't doing anything. 'Is she in a daze?' he thought. Whatever the reason was, he couldn't waste this chance. Now was the time to end this fight.

Ichika rushed straight for Cecilia, causing the girl to cower as she flew back slowly. As he got closer, he could finally see her face.

That look on her face, it wasn't one of pride or contempt. Her body was trembling, and her mouth was open. There was no mistaking it. It was fear. Pure fear.

'Cecilia… Is she… getting scared now?'

That frightened look on her face, he wondered if this was okay. Was it all right for him to strike her down? His brain was telling him to go while his heart told him to stop. Ichika pulled back on his IS, stopping himself in front of Cecilia with his sword only inches away from her IS unit.

Her eyes were closed so she wouldn't see it coming. After the hit never came, Cecilia slowly opened one eye, her sight was locked onto the sword and then on Ichika. He had actually stopped himself from slashing her. They floated there suspended, neither one knowing what to do.

_BZZZZZZZZZZZ_

"THE MATCH IS CONCLUCDED. WINNER. CECILIA ALCOTT" A robotic voice called out across the arena.

Everyone in the vicinity erupted in a chorus of "what?".

/-/

What? Why? How?

These were all questions Jayden asked, flabbergasted at Ichika. The man had victory right in front of him and he had stopped just before the finish line.

"We were all cheering for you and you end up doing this? You big idiot!" Houki glared at Ichika. The angry stares from Jayden and Houki were starting to burn a metaphorical hole in his head.

"I'm not sure what happened either." Ichika rubbed his head, even he was still trying to figure out what happened. "I didn't hit her, but I swear Cecilia didn't hit me either." Speaking of Cecilia, she was standing in the corner all by her lonesome.

"You lost because you used the barrier disabling attack too recklessly" Chifuyu explained.

"The barrier disabling attack?"

"The attack will heavily damage the opponent however in order for it to function, it requires energy to power it. So, whenever you use it, you'll be damaging yourself with the potential to inflect major damage to your enemy. When your sword was glowing, you were powering the blade by draining your own shield energy. In the end, that's what reduced your shields to zero, making you lose the match." Chifuyu explained.

Jayden put his hand to his chin, trying to remember something. His eyes then bolted open. "HOLD ON! Wasn't that Ms. Orimura's special ability. When she competed in the Mondo Grosso, that was her famous move she used to win almost all her fights."

Chifuyu nodded her head. "I have to admit, when I won the first Mondo Grosso, it was mostly because of that one ability." Chifuyu recalled times where she felled opponents in one hit with the barrier disabling attack.

"So, I have the same weapon my sister used!" He looked at his bulky bracelet. In a way, Ichika was carrying on his sister's legacy.

"I also have to mention one other thing. The barrier void attack has one other drawback." Chifuyu stated. "That ability has the potential to inflict serious harm to the opposing pilots by striking through the absolute defense."

"WHAT!" Ichika, Jayden, and Houki yelled out. All this time Ichika had a weapon that could harm the pilot, and no one had told him.

"And you waited till now to tell us this!" Houki called out Chifuyu. "What if someone had gotten hurt or worse!"

"My apologies. It had been so long that I hadn't recognized it until the blade was already active. By then the match was almost over anyway. I also had faith that Orimura could use it responsibly."

All that time, Ichika could've accidently hurt someone with that weapon.

Jayden sighed in relief; he was glad he fought Ichika before he got the first shift.

"Cecilia…" Ichika looked over at Cecilia. The girl wasn't even making eye contact with him. She must have known about the weapon and what it could do. That must have been why she was so scared during the end of the battle.

"I shouldn't have this sword." Ichika announced. "If someone could get hurt because of it, then it shouldn't be used."

"That's only of course if you continue attacking for too long while the barrier void attack is active. It wouldn't be any different than shooting at an IS with no energy in it." Chifuyu stated. "Orimura, I have faith that you can use the weapon responsibly. If you wish I can get you another weapon for your IS."

Ichika wasn't sure if it was right for him to have a weapon this dangerous, but if his sword believed he could do it then he would work to prove her right. In a way, it was like his sister was always with him to. "No. Chifuyu-nee I'll keep it and control this power."

"Good answer." Chifuyu smiled as she delivered a smack on Ichika's head for his answer. "And it's Ms. Orimura.

"Gather around everyone, it's time for your performance evaluations. Maya called over all the pilots. The four pilots lined up for Chifuyu to give them her reviews on their battles. "Ms. Orimura, if you would be so kind." Chifuyu took to the center to address each of them.

"Ms. Shinonono, I understand you were at a major disadvantage in your battle, but you showed that you went into the battle without a plan. You'll also need to work on evade incoming fire." Chifuyu summarized.

Shinonono stared down at the ground.

"If you understand then reply with a yes ma'am!"

"Y…yes ma'am."

"Sylvan, you were focused too much on defensive actions that you let your opponent control your actions. Look for ways to make your own moves instead of always reacting to your opponent. Also, I highly recommend you look for other forms of weaponry.

Jayden sent Gelimer a brief glance of distain. "Yes ma'am."

"Orimura, you quickly adapted to an Infinite Stratos you never operated before, but it's clear you did little to no research on the IS in general before today. You also made stupid mistakes in the first half of your second battle. Without your IS unlocking its first shift, you have lost hands down. Finally, while it is nice to show mercy to an enemy, your hesitation cost you a victory that should've been yours.

"Yes ma'am." Ichika answered.

"Ms. Alcott, while you are the winner of the tournament, that's only because your opponent faltered in the final moments. Focus more on having your drones evade a charging enemy while maintaining fire. Have the other drones provide covering fire for one if you need to. You should look to not rely solely on your long-range weapons, I know your IS has a knife in its equalizer slot.

Chifuyu wasn't a teacher for nothing. After seeing just a few battles, she was able to identify each pilots' weaknesses and what they should do to overcome. No wonder she was so respected in the community.

"Yes ma'am" Cecilia replied.

Chifuyu relaxed herself, having finished her short lecture. "That's all I have for you. Get some rest over the weekend and work on improving yourselves."

The tournament for the representative of class 1-1 had come to an end.

/-/

_Drip drip drip_

Hot water poured down on Cecilia from her shower head. She could be alone, making it a nice place for her to gather their thoughts. Cecilia's mind pondered as the water rushed down her body. Today, all she cared about was victory, to prove she was the best in her class and deserved the title of class representative. Now her mind was on something else.

"Ichika Orimura."

That one man had thrown her thoughts into disarray. When she thought of him, everything felt… strange. Her body felt hot and her heart would beat faster than normal.

"Why am I feeling this way? I won the tournament but…" She didn't want to admit it, but her victory wasn't earned. Her memories flashed back to her battle with Ichika. It seemed like victory was all but guaranteed, then his IS transformed into its first shift giving him enhanced stats and the Yukihira Nigata. A weapon with the power to pierce through shield energy and trigger the absolute defense of an IS.

In the final moments of the battle, Ichika was charging straight at her aiming to strike her down with one swing. And then he had stopped.

"If only I hadn't panicked and shot him when he was… no if he didn't hesitate and used his sword to strike me down, it would have certainly been my loss."

The look in his eyes back then weren't those of one rage or determination. They were of concern. Concern for her safety.

"If he didn't stop, he would've been able to cut through my body due to his unique ability. 'Reiraku Byakua.' That nullifies the shield energy of the IS." Cecilia hugged herself, taking in what it meant. "He wasn't focused on winning; he was more worried about me getting hurt." For the first time since she could last remember, a man had cared about her.

Her father was a low-class man while her mother was in the upper class, holding the Alcott family name. Having married into a wealthy family, her father felt quite inferior to her mother. He rarely did anything, spending more of his time getting drunk to wallow in his misery while spending on whatever fancy he wished to have. Having a father like that, Cecilia vowed to become never like that man.

Meanwhile her mother would handle the work and finances while her father stayed out of the way. Cecilia always respected her mother, how she managed numerous companies, was highly respected and although strict, she was a fantastic mother. Cecilia's life was of happiness as she grew up with her family.

All that continued, until three years ago. Both of Cecilia's parents died in a train accident. She never knew why they were together on that fateful day. There were rumors of a conspiracy but nothing that could be determined. In the end, the event was nothing more than a tragic accident. Just like that, Cecilia had lost her parents.

Due to their death, Cecilia was now the inheritor to a vast fortune once she came of age. A fortune that many people wanted for themselves or their company. Cecilia worked hard to protect it, biing the only thing her mother left for her, she wouldn't lose it. In order to keep it safe, Cecilia accepted a proposition from her country's government. In exchange for keeping her family's fortune under her name, Cecilia agreed to be England's first test pilot of the third generation IS, Blue Tears.

With the way society was today, Cecilia had a sense of superiority with her bring a representative cadet and female, she felt no man could ever meet her standards.

Ichika Orimura though…. He seemed different. Cecilia felt her chest heat up just thinking about him. What was this feeling running through her? She imagined what it would be like to be in his arms feeling his embrace. The more she did, the hotter she felt.

"He's like the prince charming I always read in fairy tales." Just like from the books her mother would read to her when she was young. "Ichika Orimura, could you really be my very own prince charming? Her face blushed just thinking about him in a dashing outfit holding her hand. As good as her imagination felt envisioning herself and the boy, something dark was brewing in the back of her mind.

Doubt. Minor doubts but still doubts none the less. Was he really the man she thought he was or was it a one-time fluke? She had been lied to by men before who tried to get close to her mainly for the sake of snatching her family's fortune. Was this another attempt to steal her fortune? He seemed genuine but still…

She had to know for certain. She wouldn't stop until she knew what kind of man Ichika truly was. She had to find out his true identity and the truth behind her own feelings.

"Ichika Orimura, I want to know. I want to know who you really are."

Only the sound of water flowed echoing throughout the bathroom.

/-/

Jayden was in his purple long-sleeved shirt and pajama pants while Honne wore her traditional fox onesie. It was still super adorable on her. Honne was reading a fashion magazine while Jayden looked uneasy, his eyes kept looking at and then away from Honne. Time to get this over with.

"Hey Honne."

"Hmm?" She looked up from her reading material.

"I…. er…. I….I'm sorry"

Honne looked confused. "What for?"

Jayden couldn't look her in the eyes. "You know…"

"Know what?"

"Your training!" Jayden blurted out. "You spent all that time helping me learn how to fly an IS the past few days, and I ended up getting taken out in the first round." Losing to someone who hadn't had any prior training in an IS, it made Jayden feel even worse.

Honne simply shrugged her shoulder. "It's no big deal, and I had fun hanging out with you." It's like Honne's default emotion was happiness. There seemed to be that could wipe the smile off her face?

"Next time I'll try to do better. And if you want to hang out sometime, I'll keep my schedule open for ya."

Honne considered it. "I wouldn't mind. Under one condition." Honne stuck her tongue out at him.

"Of course, I'll bring a bunch of snacks for us. The sugary ones."

Honne cheered happily. Both were looking forward to it.

"Good night Jaydee"

"Good night." Jayden headed to the bathroom for some personal hygiene before setting off to sleep. As he was brushing his teeth, his phone rang out. Jayden answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Mi, Man I mull mu meck moomormow?" He answered, with a mouth full of toothpaste.

"Too busy Jayden? And we haven't talked in so long..." A familiar voice said. Jayden immediately recognized it.

"Matasha!?" He spit out all of his toothpaste. "Natasha!" The woman who had trained and taught Jayden for a month before he moved to IS Academy, she was one of his favorite people in the world.

"It's been a while since we had a chat." Natasha said. "I heard about your class rep tournament from Gelimer. He seemed a bit disappointed, saying that you got third place.

"Uhh…. Yeah! Third place…." Jayden face began to leak sweat. He couldn't let himself look lame in Natasha's eyes. "Out of everyone!" Technically it wasn't a complete lie.

"By everyone do you mean the four people who competed?"

Jayden squeaked.

"You need to stop lying to make yourself seem better. Girls won't like you if you do that." Natasha scolded. Jayden answered with a meek 'yes ma'am. "Well I'm learn sooner or later. Now why don't you tell about your new school life. I want to hear about it."

For the next 10 minutes, Jayden went on a talking spree about everything at IS Academy. How much better this school was compared to his one, and the people he met.

"Her name is Honne, and she's really nice and sweet. She even helped me practice for the tournament.

"You have a girl as a roommate, consider me surprised. Just don't so anything rude or pervy to her Jayden." Natasha teased. Why does everyone keep telling him that?

"Of course not! I would never do anything like that."

"Awww, aren't you a little gentleman. Then I wonder who was the one staring at me in an IS uniform back in the infirmary in America? I can't seem to recall."

"Yeah err…Me neither…" Jayden groaned. She would never let him live that down. Natasha just laughed.

Anyway, don't get too discouraged from your battle. Think of it as a good learning opportunity to know what you need to improve on. Your goal is to get stronger right?"

"No." Jayden simply answered.

"No?"

"I don't want to be stronger. I just don't want to get myself killed." Jayden emphasized. "These machines are great and but bring out there in life or death combat…. I just can't do it.

"Really? I thought that changed when you were fighting in your class tournament."

"I only fought because those stupid rules forced me to."

"So, you didn't enjoy it then? Gelimer told me he you smiling during your battle."

Jayden remained silent. Even though he lost, there something about the IS battle that he couldn't explain. His heart was racing when fighting Ichika. Because of fear or adrenaline, he couldn't figure out. Still the memories of getting kidnapped came to back to him. He tried to give Natasha an answer but couldn't figure out what to say.

"It's okay if you don't know. All I'm asking is that you just think about it." Natasha reassured him. "Anyway, I need get ready for my day. Between you and me there's like an eight-hour time difference. I'll talk to you later Jayden."

"Bye Natasha!" She ended as Jayden looked at his reflection in the mirror. Did he really want to fight, or would it be better to just stay out of an Infinite Stratos completely? He figured it would be best to sleep on it. Jayden headed for his bed, only to discover a girl sized problem waiting for him. Honne was in bed. His bed.

"Honne… you're sleeping in my bed." In his bed laid Honne looking peaceful as she rested. Jayden's face went red just looking at her until he shook the color off his face. He gently shook her, trying to wake her up with no success. The was no way she could be asleep already right?

"Honne… if you don't get out of my bed, I'll tie your hair into a pretzel." Jayden warned, wiggling his fingers as they inched to her pinkish hair.

Either she really had fallen asleep that quickly or she's thinking he's bluffing. Either way she wasn't budging. Jayden reached over to carry out his threat.

"I mean it! I'm going to do it…" He inched closer and closer. However, no matter how close his fingers got; he couldn't bring himself to disturb her. She looked too peaceful and the boy couldn't bring himself to do it. This was Honne's victory.

"Dang it…"

Grumbling, Jayden climbed into the other bed, the one that should've been used by Honne. He settled in getting into sleeping position, trying to keep out of his mind he was sleeping in a girl's bed or that the bed smelled a bit like Honne. As long as no one found out about this he should be good. Jayden said his good nights and followed Honne's example of going to sleep.

/-/

"Say, Ichika?" Houki finished untying her hair ribbon for bed. She and Ichika were back in their room getting ready for bed.

"Yeah Houki?" Ichika finished brushing his teeth.

"Are you upset that you lost today?" She had seen that Ichika looked really determined to win before the he flew out to the arena.

"Well yeah, I wanted to win as much as anyone else."

"Then why did you hesitate back then? Your opponent was faltering and had the means to win the match. How did you let a perfectly good opportunity just pass you by?"

As everyone had pointed out, he lost because of his hesitation and he couldn't deny it. "When I was about to attack her, Cecilia looked so scared."

Houki gave him a look like she was asking are-you-serious?

"I mean it. I can't strike someone down who's afraid, can I?"

Houki couldn't even face Ichika. Or rather, she didn't want him to see her face to be seen. Her cheeks had gone totally red thinking about Ichika. How he calmly saw through everything and his opponent. Not many people would be nice enough to show concern, even for someone like Cecilia. It was what Houki though a man should be. It was the Ichika she knew and loved.

"Houki?"

The Brunette snapped out of her thoughts. Gone was her rose tinted face. Now she wore her usual scowl.

"Y-you idiot! Because of your hesitation you sealed your own defeat." Houki mocked.

"I guess I did deserve to lose that one." He nervously laughed. "I'll just have to train so I don't lose to her next time."

"Yeah, you better start practicing with the IS."

"Of course. Would you be willing to teach me then Houki? For real this time."

Houki seemed taken back. "Really? You want me to teach you?" She hadn't taught him anything about the IS over the past few days and he was giving her a second chance?

"Of course, I feel a lot more comfortable with you than other girls."

Once again, Ichika made Houki's face turn red.

She looked unsure what to do, rubbing her legs together. "A-all right then, I guess I have to. I'll teach you in my own special way next time." She smiled at Ichika, happy to hear he still wanted to be with her.

"Thanks, Houki I'm counting on you."

Looking at the clock, he decided it was time to get some rest. Both of them got settled into bed as Houki turned out the lights.

"Good night Ichika."

Good night Houki… Oh!" Ichika rose up. "I forgot to ask you something."

"What?"

"Do you wanna go out?"

'G-G-GO OUT!'

Houki's mind went blank as she internally screamed.

**And with that, the class rep arc has ended. I wanted to spice things up with the formula. Rather than just have one-character fight Cecilia, I turned it into a mini tournament to give other characters some screen time and put in a few more fights. Personally, I think the fights turned out ok, I tried to split the focus but ended up giving most of it to Ichika as he did most of the fighting. Still I hope you enjoyed the battles and character.**

**The next chapter will be sort of an intermission chapter, getting some character development before the next arc begins. Those of you who are familiar with a certain IS game known as Archtype Breakers, you may recognize a few characters.**

**Let me know what you think in the reviews. I look forward to hearing comments and criticisms.**

**Look forward to the next chapter and keep your sense of wonder.**

**Omake**

The final teacher cleared the hallway, roaming the halls to make sure no student was breaking curfew. As she passed a corner, a girl peeked out the corner of the room. She secretly watched her until the teacher was out of sight.

"All clear!" She announced to everyone in the room.

A girl from class 1-1 nodded. "Everyone! we're ready to begin."

All the girls that had gathered settled down. There was about 40 of them give or take, each one a student at the Academy. They all took a seat while the lead girl stood at the head of the room in front of a curtain.

"Attention, may I have your attention please." One girl raised her hand to draw all eyes on her, she stood at an average height and had long brown hair with green eyes. The other girls ceased their muttering to focus on her. "My name is Marissa Hollybell and I'd like to Thank you all for coming to our club. Now that we've all gathered, we can begin the official inception of our club"

"Yaaay!" One girl literally jumped for joy, a few others cheered and/or applauded.

"I'd like to welcome you all…"

Marissa pulled open the curtain revealing a board. On the left near the upper corner was Ichika's photo with Jayden's photo on the opposite corner. In the center was a title underlined for emphasis.

_Who is the Alpha Male?_

"To the Alpha Male research club." She exclaimed, performing jazz hands for some extra flare. "This year two boys have enrolled at IS Academy. We're here to determine the truth. To find out who is true alpha male of IS Academy!" Marisa explained. The girls all cheered for their quest.

"Excuse me." One girl from the crowd raised her hand. "Um…Why are we doing this?"

'_Oh, that poor naive girl' _Marissa shook her head at her ignorance_. _Looks like she would have to inform her uneducated friend. Marissa walked over to her. "Tell me, what is your name and purpose for being here?"

"It's Rinko, and I thought this was the knitting club."

"Well Rinko." Marissa wrapped her arm around Rinko's shoulder. "Since the beginning of time, men have lived with one another. They will work together and bond with another as they get acquainted. Any place where men gather will turn into a battlefield. Only the strongest can be leader no! The alpha. The Alpha is the one who can lead all to glory and prosperity. We must figure out which of these boys is the true alpha male to support him and his endeavors. Now do you understand young one?"

Some of the other girls were crying at the beautiful speech. Tissues were handed out to those who needed to dry their eyes.

"Uhh….. yes?" Rinko figured it would best to just agree and move on.

"Excellent. Now the first thing we have to do to find the alpha male is determine their feats and accomplishments." Marissa said. "That way we can compare them to see who stands out more. Currently the only data we have to go on is the Class rep tournament. While neither boy, they did fight, and the winner was Ichika."

"So that means Ichika is the alpha right?" Someone in the crowd called out.

Tutting, Marissa shook her head. "Not quite. When it comes to finding the alpha male, there's another aspect that must be taken into consideration." She paused for dramatic effect "Women."

"Women?"

The crowd murmured trying to figure out what she meant.

"They say any strong man has the power to seduce women, so an alpha male should be able to assemble a harem of girls to their side. Based on our spy's intel, each boy has spent ample time with a girl in this school." Marissa snapped her finger and two girls, dressed in all black like a discount ninja, put up a picture of a girl under each boy's photo. Houki's photo under Ichika and Honne's under Jayden. To say they were good photos though would be a lit. Houki looked like she was about to blow a gasket as she swung a sword hitting Ichika. meanwhile Honne was fast asleep with half her face covered by her sleeve.

"Apologies Marissa, these were the best photos we could take. It's like their default emotions are anger and sleepy." The two girls bowed as they apologized once again.

"Wait, you have people stalking Ichika and Jayden?"

"Or course." Marissa confirmed. "You need all the data you can get."

"Intel has also confirmed that Ms. Shinonono and Ichika and childhood friends and she has even taken the liberty to train him." One of the spies explained. "Meanwhile Jayden and Honne have spent an ample amount of time together. Training with the IS and sharing snacks with one another. There were also rumors that they're sharing a bed, but we could neither confirm nor deny it."

"How interesting. Both of them have managed to charm a woman to their side. Only an alpha male could work that fast." Marissa considered.

Rinko was too busy wondering if she was having an aneurism to correct her.

From the crowd, one girl spoke up. "Well it's clear that Ichika is the alpha male. He's taller, stronger, and looks totally reliable. Those are all traits an alpha male would have."

"Hold it!" Another girl challenged. "Jayden isn't as big, but he seems way craftier. Plus, he's super nice, he gave me some of his snacks when I was hungry."

"Yeah, it's not all about brawn, brains are important to. Plus, I've heard that shorter guys tend to try a lot harder." A smaller girl commented.

"No way, the Alpha is about dominating. Being stronger than the others and showing you're number one. Ichika is forceful when he needs to be and always kind!"

As more and more girls voiced their opinions, they moved to sides of the room groups based on who they supported. About half on one side with half on the other.

"JAYDEN!"

"ICHIKA!"

"JAYDEN!"

"ICHIKA!"

"JAYDEN!"

"ICHIKA!"

Lighting began to crackle between the eyes of the two groups. At this rate a brawl would break out.

Marissa banged her makeshift gavel on the desk. "Everyone stop, we can't do this!"

Rinko sighed in relief.

"Without proper equipment of course. Everyone arm yourself. That way it'll be a much better fight." Every girl scoured the room for something to use a weapon. A book, a chair, a stapler, one girl had even tied her shoes together to make some sort of shoe num-chucks. Everyone regathered, armed with something to use. Marissa took the lead once again. "Ok is everyone ready?"

"HOLD IT HOLD IT HOLD IT!" Rinko waved her arms frantically. The last that needed to occur was someone getting their head knocked off. "Can't we just have a vote or something!?"

Everyone paused for a few moments to comprehend what Rinko had said. A vote did make more sense.

"Everyone drop your weapons; we're taking a vote." Marissa declared.

Everyone did as such with one girl reluctantly following along.

A vote was then held to determine the alpha male. The amount of people on each side were counted.

After the counting, the final tally led to….

…

…

…

…

…

"A tie." Marissa announced. "After counting everyone's votes, we have a tie. Welp, only one thing to do. Last side standing will have their man be considered the alpha!"

The girls all scrambled to pick up their junk weapons.

"Not again!" Rinko panicked. These girls were insane and willing to commit harm for their beliefs. "WAIT!" Rinko stopped them just before the girls were about to charge "If we do this! We…. Won't determine who the real strongest guy is! We'll only prove which girls are stronger, but it's not about us. It's about the guys. We don't know enough about them to draw a conclusion." Rinko was sweating bullets. These girls were insane on finding out who the alpha male was.

"Our sister makes a good point." Marissa spoke out, acting like a leader to her people. "Both guys are accomplishing a lot but neither one appears to have a clear advantage over the other. As our duty, we'll have to gather more data on the boys before we can determine who the alpha male is."

"Yes leader." A bunch of girls responded Rinko could feel her heartbeat return to normal. At least they weren't going to knock each other's lights out. For now. She let out a huge sigh of relief.

"I expect everyone here to keep a close eye on the boys. We need to determine which boy is the alpha male and we won't stop until we find out." Marissa finished her speech. Every girl nodded, knowing what they had to do.

"Once we have more information, we'll reassemble to determine who is the strongest male at IS Academy. For the alpha male!" Marissa declared.

"FOR THE ALPHA MALE!"

"For the alpha male…." Rinko reluctantly joined in.

The battle to determine the alpha male was to be continued. Not that the males knew about it.

/-/

**The journey to find out who is the alpha male begins.**


	6. Shops and Mobbers

**Ah, another chapter of Change My Mind. I hope everyone is keeping healthy in these tough times. Here is Chapter 6. Enjoy!**

The first weekend of the semester had arrived and for the students of IS Academy that meant one thing. The monorails were open for student use.

The monorail system connected the mainland to IS Academy and was the only way students were allowed to enter and leave the Academy. For student use it was open on weekends for students who wanted to go to the mainland to have fun or go shopping. Many students were happy to pick up things they needed or to see what the mainland had to offer. One girl though was smiling for a different reason.

"You're in a good mood today." Ichika remarked.

Ichika and Houki sat together on the monorail, the latter was grinning ear to ear. Dressed in the cutest casual clothes she had, she looked to be going all out. It was a rare sight to see her smiling this much.

"Why wouldn't I be? I've been waiting for this for so long." Her mind was on cloud nine as Ichika, the boy she liked, had finally asked her out. She had dreamed of this for so long.

"Really? " Ichika figured it was because she needed some supplies like toothpaste or clothes.

"So, what did you have planned?" Houki asked.

"I was thinking we check out the shops in the main district at the town and buy what we need. They have a lot of stores so we should be able to grab everything in one place."

Shopping together huh? Houki figured it wasn't a bad start. "And then…?"

"Once were finished, we head back to the Academy."

Houki took a second to comprehend the date. Shopping and going home. That was it!?

"What do you mean head back to the academy?" Houki That can't be all you have planned."

"Well…." Ichika scratched the back of his head. "What else would we do?"

"How about eating, walking through the park, seeing a movie? You could pick almost anything for us to do and it would be okay." Houki scolded.

"I didn't think you wanted to do more. We can get something to eat afterwards if you want." Ichika offered. "There's bound to be plenty of restaurants in the area when we get there."

Houki sighed with disappointment. Did Ichika really plan nothing for their date? Typically most guys would've planned a whole days of activities. She turned her back to him, looking at him with the reflection of the window in front of her. She knew this Ichika but still she expected a little more.

"We can find something more to do once we finish getting what we need." The boy offered.

Houki turned halfway towards Ichika. "You mean it?"

Ichika gave her his reassuring smile. "I promise and my word is my bond. Whatever you want to do Houki."

"All right, I'll hold you to that." She remember how Ichika use to say that when they were kids. Whenever he made a promise, he always made sure to keep it. Thinking about it, Houki realized she could still make this work,

If Ichika couldn't plan a date, then it would be up to her to do it for him. Not to mention having control of the date meant she got to decide what romantic things they would do. Houki's face was back to grinning as she considered all the things, she and Ichika could do today. She looked so happy, looked like her wish was going to come true after all.

It was good to see Houki back to smiling which must mean she was feeling better. Although, Ichika wondered why she was so happy about shopping for stuff? Maybe it was a girl thing. After all, he couldn't imagine why anyone would be that critical about planning a simple shopping trip.

/-/

The monorail was connected to the edge of the mainland meaning students had to take a short shuttle ride to reach the town. One short ride later and the students were now disembarking from the bus. Houki took a deep breath to prepare herself as she walked off. Her date had officially begun.

"So-"

"Hey Ichika! Houki!" A male voice called out to them from behind. Given it was male and Ichika was there, it could only belong to one other person.

"Oh Jayden, I didn't realize you were on the same bus as us." Ichika said.

"Me neither, you two going shopping together?"

"Yeah, we're picking up some stuff and maybe doing something else if Houki feels like it. What about you, shopping alone?"

"Not exactly." Jayden motioned to the bus where Honne and her friends Yuzu and Sayuka. Those three had a habit of staying together. They made their way over, joining the gang.

"Yoho!" Honne greeted. She was wearing some casual clothes albeit the sleeves were still longer than her arms in length.

"Thanks for waiting." Sayuka, the black haired one greeted.

"We met up on the monorail and they all invited me to go with them." Jayden said.

"I can't believe you guys are going out dressed like that. Yuzu, the dark red haired one said. "No cover or anything to hide yourself.

"What are you talking about? Is there something I need we need to hide?" Ichika checked his face, pretty sure he remembered to wash himself this morning.

They all talked for a while, telling one another their plans and what they hoped to buy and do while here. As everyone talked, Houki just stood there and smiled. All the while tapping her foot, waiting impatiently for everyone to break off and go their own ways.

"Maybe you guys can come with us!" Ichika offered.

Houki barley managed to stop herself from screaming. A date was between two people, no more and no less.

The next thing they knew, the ground beneath them begun to shake.

"What's going on?" Honne and her friends grabbed one another for support.

"Is this an earthquake?" Jayden asked.

The rumbling was getting louder, as though it was heading their way. Shizune squinted, looking behind everyone. Once she confirmed her suspicions, she pointed behind everyone. "No. Much worse."

Running the student's way was a large of group of people. Well less running and more like stampeding as anyone in their way quickly moved out of it. Not to mention it seemed the entire crowd was female.

"It's a bunch of girls all wanting to see you I knew it! You boys are just too rare to be ignored." Shizune patted herself on the back for an accurate prediction.

"I thought you were kidding!" Ichika began backing away from the incoming mob. "They can't be after us, right? It's probably the release date of a new phone or some other technology. Right….?"

"Oh man this is great!" Jayden on the other hand was star struck. His wish he held since middle school was granted, he was popular with the ladies! And all those girls wanted him!

"There they are!" One girl from the crowd shouted.

"If the tall one is Ichika, than the shorter one must be Jayden!"

"Excuse me, may I ask you a few quick questions?"

"Do you have time for an interview?"

"SIGN MY PURSE!"

"SIGN MY AUTOGRAPH BOOK!"

"NO! SIGN MY BODY!"

"CAN I HAVE SOME OF YOUR HAIR!?"

And now it was less great.

"Yeah those aren't your average fangirls." Yuzu pointed out. "They're the type who will steal your hair, clothes, etc and put them in a shrine dedicated to you."

"Not to mention those reporters can be ruthless." Shizune added. "They'll dig into the depths of your psyche for a story to print on tabloids. Then the whole world judges you and creates all sorts of conspiracy theories."

Never before had Jayden's smile vanished so quickly.

"How many of them are there!" Houki couldn't even begin to count though it seemed Honne was giving it a shot. She wagged her sleeved finger as she counted

"Eleven…. Twelve…. Thirteen…. A lot. Let's go with a lot." Honne concluded.

"You guys should run." Shizune warned.

Heeding her advice, Jayden and Ichika turned and booked it, running to get as far away from that mob of girls as they could. Houki followed along, running to stay with Ichika.

On the sides, the trio of girls watched as the horde of fangirls and reporters rushed past to catch up.

"I wonder how all those girls figured out Jaydee and Orimu were here?" No one had an answer, but they didn't think on it much. It was shopping time after all.

From the back of the bus, a girl looked out the window as women ran by. Yua Tani smirked, satisfied with her handiwork. She felt good inside, watching as the boys were forced to run away with their tails between their legs. It was amazing what you could do with one tweet about where some guys were.

/-/

You could say many guys dreamed of having a swarm of girls want them. To many this would be a dream. To three teens running, it was a living nightmare.

Anywhere they ran, the mob followed hot on their trails. About a hundred voices called out listing the boys praise or desires the girls wanted them to fulfill. Throughout the town wherever they went that mob was right on their tail. Jayden checked behind him to see how far apart they were. The distance between wasn't changing as they kept their pace through the town. Still this couldn't go on forever.

"We have to lose them somehow, any ideas?"

"Maybe we can split up?" Ichika proposed.

"Are you stupid?" Houki criticized. "it'll only split up the mob and they'll still be chasing you guys." Not to mention she wanted herself and Ichika to stay together. "Here's what we'll do. The next alleyway we find, we run through it, we can go one at a time, but this big crowd can't squeeze through without getting stuck."

It was a pretty good idea, taking advantage of the mobs' large numbers to slow them down.

Houki pulled ahead of the guys to lead the way. "So, we head through the next small alleyway we find, got it?"

Before the guys could respond, Ichika and Jayden were suddenly pulled into an alleyway . Next thing they knew, a hand was clamped over their mouths. They struggled to yell and escape, but their cries were muffled.

The one responsible struggled to keep them down. "_Shhhh! _I'm trying to help you hide. Be quiet or they'll find us." Hearing that this person was trying to help them, they ceased their actions to stay quiet.

All three of them waited in silence as the mob ran past, screaming their wants and desires for the boys to fulfill. It was like watching a horde of bulls run past, only it looked more terrifying. Once the last girl had ran past, they all sighed in relief. Their mysterious savior removed their hands from their mouths. Both guys turned towards whoever did this. Their eyes widened.

"Cecilia?!"

Standing before them was Cecilia Alcott, the same girl who never missed an opportunity to boast her skills, had just saved them from a fate worse than death. She stood there looking down on them with her arms folded.

"What were you idiots thinking?" Cecilia scolded. "Going out in public with no disguise or any sort of cover? Honestly It's like you were asking to get swarmed!"

"Nice to see you to Cecilia." Jayden rolled his eyes. Why did he have to run into her?

"Is that anyway to thank someone who saved you from a mob of fans?"

Ichika placed a hand on Jayden's shoulder, trying to relax him. "What brings you here Cecilia?"

"Oh…. I was out shopping, and I just happened to be passing by when I saw you running for your lives, so I waited here to save you." It was sort of a half-truth. She was keeping tabs on Ichika, followed him to the mainland in secret, and predicted their running path to wait in the ally to ambush- err… save them. But she didn't have to tell them that.

"Thank you for your help Cecilia." Ichika smiled, showing his appreciation.

Cecilia turned away, only so they wouldn't see her blushing face. It was the face she thought about all last night, was he truly different from the other men in this world. That's what she had come here to discover. "Well…. It's only natural that the elite should help the lower class." She coughed into her arm to change the subject. "Now then, what do you boys plan to do to avoid getting spotted out in public?"

The guys looked at one another, hoping the other had an answer.

Cecilia groaned. "Looks like I don't have a choice. Both of you follow me and keep your heads down."

"And why should we follow you Blondie?" Jayden glared at her. He hadn't forgotten everything she said and did over the time they've known each other. There must have been an endgame for Cecilia if she was going to help them after everything she did and said.

"Fine then, enjoy being hunted like animals." Cecilia turned to leave; she knew he'd change his tune any second now.

"She did help us just now, so she probably knows what she's doing. I think we can give her a chance" Ichika said.

Jayden hated to admit it but he didn't have any better ideas. "Fine. But if she starts preaching about how she's an elite again, I'm out of here."

Cecilia led the boys into a clothing store, all the while managing to avoid enough detection to not trigger a repeat of what happened. It seemed like a cheap clothing store mainly selling fashion accessories at reasonable prices, the kind you'd find at the edge of an outlet.

By the time they were done, the boys were now sporting a cap, ascot, and sunglasses to hide their faces. Cecilia had managed to coordinate the colors to go with what the guys were currently wearing. Cecilia placed her hands on her hips, seemingly quite pleased with her work. "With this, you should be able to walk around town without anyone realizing who you are. Try to keep a low profile though"

"You're pretty good at pulling these accessories off, especially on the spot." Ichika looked over his stylish new headwear.

Cecilia puffed out her chest with pride. "This isn't my first time having to hide myself from over excited fans." Flipping her hair, she continued. "I'm a representative cadet for England, making me somewhat of a local celebrity in my country. Usually I have to dress up a bit if I want to go into a public area."

"So even celebrities have it rough." Jayden considered as he scratched his neck. The scarf was kind of itchy but at least he could shop in peace now. "Thank you for the help Cecilia, but I have something I need to buy that's on the opposite side of town, so I'll catch you guys later."

"Take care." Ichika waved him goodbye and began to set off on his own way until Cecilia grabbed his sleeve. "Do you need something?"

Cecilia fiddled with her earrings bashfully, "Yes… I was hoping I could ask for your assistance." Now that the other boy left on his own, this was the perfect opportunity to be with Ichika and find out more about him. "This is my first time in Japan and I'm not familiar with the layout here. I was hoping you could show me around." It was another lie, but it gave her an excuse to be with Ichika. She figured this would be the first test to see what he was like.

"I guess I can do that." Ichika wasn't completely fond of Cecilia, her attitude left a sour taste in his mouth. Most guys would decline and go on their way.

There lied the problem, Ichika wasn't like most guys. He was the kind of person to always return the favor to those that helped him. And Cecilia had hidden him from that mob and dressed him to make sure it stayed that way. He figured escorting her for a little while was the least, he could do.

"Excellent, let us be on our way Ichika."

"Just a second, I should give Houki a call, she'll want to meet up with us-?!"

"NO!"

Cecilia coughed into her fist following her outburst.

"I mean… that wouldn't be a good idea. Fans can be quite persistent and they're probably still after you. If Houki is with us, she may unknowingly be followed, and lead more fans to you." Cecilia sweated as she told her lie.

"I guess that makes sense. But I promised Houki we'd go shopping together."

"I'm sure we can invite her later once the mob of fans disperses. I'm sure Ms. Shinonono will understand.

/-/

_A few minutes earlier_

"So, we head through the next small alleyway we find, got it?"

Houki got no response.

"We'll go through the next alleyway to lose them, you guys ready?" Houki repeated

She still got no reply.

Looking behind her, all Houki saw was the mob of fangirls and reporters chasing after her. Houki cursed her luck. All she wanted was the attention of one person. Instead, she had the attention of about 100.

Wait… if Ichika and Jayden weren't behind her…. Where were they? If they weren't here than that meant…

"_Those bozos ditched me!" _ Houki realized in anger. She balled her hands into fists as she ran. "_Just wait till I get my hands on them…"_ Oh the things she'd do the next time she saw them.

/-/

"You just stepped on me didn't you! My shoes got dirty because of you!" A woman lifted her foot to showcase the minor scuff mark that was made a few seconds ago.

"I-I'm sorry! I'll pay for it so…" He apologized. Bowing his head to show his sincerity.

"Of course, you should."

From the corner of her eye, Cecilia watched the whole thing play out. A woman telling off a man for his mistake. He would probably end up paying a bill for a minor mistake. Quite common in today's day society, and nothing Cecilia hadn't already seen before.

"Is something the matter?" Ichika asked, he looked where Cecilia was looking only by now the incident being settled much more quietly between the man and woman.

"It's nothing." Cecilia moved ahead with Ichika following her.

"So where did you want to go first?"

Cecilia took out a piece of paper with a list of names. "The first place is a clothing store, Juneberry Boutique. I'm in the market for some new outfits, and the place was highly recommended to me by a trusted friend, so I want to go there first."

"_She's the spitting image of a noble woman_." Ichika thought. "_Going through shops just by their names._"

A few minutes later, they found their destination. Inside the clothing store, it seemed quite fancy with items lined up on display standees.

"Welcome to Juneberry Boutique." An employee right at the door welcomed them. He was dressed in a professional uniform to compliment his look. "Is there anything I may help you with today?"

Cecilia spoke first. "Yes, I'm here to find some new clothes to wear when I go out in public, could you show me some of your best outfits.

He nodded and led Cecilia further into the store leaving Ichika on his own. He checked out the line of clothing they had and while the designs looked nice, it seemed they were sold a high price due to the brand recognition. Seriously, who would pay so much money just to have a name or logo somewhere on their clothes?

A half hour later, after Cecilia was done trying on and looking at clothes, she was at the front counter with the employee ringing up the total.

"And the total amount comes to…"

The final total appeared on the machine.

If Ichika had a beverage in his mouth, he'd have spit it all over the counter. How could such a few amounts of clothes add up to an amount with so many number? And Cecilia was charging it to a card like it was nothing.

"Is something the matter Ichika? Don't worry about the price, I can afford it."

Ichika was sure he could afford it to. If he ate nothing but cup noodles a month he'd have enough left over.

After some thanks for purchases and offers of a rewards program, Cecilia and Ichika left the store.

"Are you sure you're okay carrying those?" Cecilia watches and Ichika carried the bags of clothes with relative ease.

"I don't mind. A guy should always carry the bags for a woman after all."

Cecilia smiled; it seemed this guy knew his place so that was a good sign. She'd have to reward him for his services later. "My aren't you quite the gentleman. I'll be sure to reward when were finished."

"Reward?" Ichika didn't recall doing anything worthwhile.

"For your services."

"Oh. You don't have to do that. I'm just happy to help."

Cecilia smirked. Happy to help he said. That's what they all say at first until they end. She the routine by now. He knew that she had large sums of money. It would only be a matter of time till he asked for his due. Although how much did he know about her when they fought? Did he lose on purpose to get in her good graces? Did he-

"-Ilia?"

"Huh?"

"Are you okay Cecilia? You spaced out for a moment."

"Umm… it was nothing. Let's be on our way to the next store."

They continued their shopping store after store, with Cecilia doing most of the buying as Ichika carried her things, amazed at all the things she could afford. When you were rich there was little you couldn't afford. All the while, Cecilia noticed Ichika always took a few seconds to walk up to a person and converse with them. Somehow, he always knew they had a problem. A woman who was lost in the shopping district or a boy who dropped his coins. Whether it be obvious or unclear, Ichika could always tell if someone was in need. Cecilia wondered how he could tell, and why didn't he want anything for his actions?

It was natural to be rewarded for one's deeds, it's what Cecilia had done and what many she knew had expected of her. Payback anyone who helps you so you're no longer in debt. A principle her mother had taught her. If you repaid all debts, no one could hold them over your head. So why was Ichika not collecting what he should be owed? Better yet, why was he being nice to all these people who he obviously didn't know?

This day wouldn't be over until she knew. Looks like their shopping trip together would last a bit longer.

/-/

Jayden followed the map on his phone, just another few blocks in front of him was his destination. The local game store. And they had the latest version of 'Infinite Stratos, Battle Arena 3' in stock. Sure, he could've bought the game online for a digital copy. But only a true fan buys a physical copy. And once he got there, it'd be in his hands.

"What's your name cutie?"

Jayden groaned, thinking someone was talking to him, he tried to find the one who said that to tell them he was a guy . Given his girlish long light brown hair, it wouldn't be the first time someone told him that. Thankfully it wasn't aimed at him, but it came from the alleyway nearest to him. Curiosity over taking him, Jayden took a peak in the alleyway to see two boys and a girl.

Based on what he could tell, the guys looked to be int heir late teens with one wearing a beanie and the other in a hoodie. The girl featured short dark green hair and slightly tanned skin. She seemed to be a foreigner. Also, the path behind her was locked with a gate so the only way she could leave was through those guys.

"We just want to know you a little better. Nothing wrong with that is there?" The one in the hoodie asked.

"I'd rather not." She declined.

"I'm sure we can be…. Really good friends." The one in the beanie said.

She didn't want to answer him. As they stepped forward, she backed away uncomfortably until her back hit the gate.

Anyone with eyes could tell she didn't want to be there. Jayden looked for help but no one else seemed to notice or care what was happening. Who would want to get involved in a problem that wasn't there's? The smart thing to do would be to walk away and pretend he saw nothing.

To bad Jayden wasn't that smart.

"There you are!"

Jayden casually said, entering the alley. Everyone shared a look wondering who the heck was he. Jayden squeezed through the guys to get to the girl.

"I thought I lost you. Come on, we have to go or were going to be late for the thing." Jayden walked in-between the guys and grabbed the girl's hand.

"I think you have me mistaken for someone else." She quietly responded, pulling her hand back.

"No… you're DEFINETLY her." Jayden gave a way too obvious wink, praying she could figure out what he was do.

He had a simple plan. Pretend to be someone she knew and give her a reason to leave. Jayden had seen a similar stunt play out on TV. If it worked on TV, it could probably work in real life. Thankfully she seemed to catch on as her eyes widened in realization.

"Oh! Yes! Let us go to the movie." Her voice sounded so stiff, but it would do. She gave him her hand and nodded back at him.

The two punks refused to move out of their way.

"And just how do you know her?" One of them asked.

Jayden said the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm her boyfriend."

"Bullshit."

"Bullshit."

"We're just acquaintances."

Everyone doubted it.

Hurtful and obvious. And the girl could've at least lied about it. Jayden's pride took a major hit.

"Look I don't think she wants to be with so, so why don't we all leave and –"

The guy in the beanie had enough of this.

"Get lost little girl." He shoved Jayden to the side like he was weightless, sending Jayden falling to the ground after he hit the wall. "Now, how about you, my friend, and I go get some drinks, we can a nice time so what do you say?" He took her wrist in his hand flashing his best smile that total didn't look creepy.

Jayden rubbed his sore shoulder. If he ran away now, he would look and feel like a total loser. But there was no way he could out muscle those guys who were taller and older than him which left… Jayden glanced at the ring on his finger. He wasn't supposed to use his IS except without authorization or unless it was an emergency. This sort of counted as one.

"You don't know who I am do you?" Jayden stood back up, dusting any potential dirt off himself.

"Some nosy brat that doesn't his place?" The one who punched him laughed with the other guy joining in on the laughter.

Jayden ripped off his head accessories in a dramatic fashion because you've got to make an impact to leave an impression. The ring on Jayden's finger glowed and in a flash his Nova Union had partially deployed on right arm. The two guys stopped and stared at his arm. It was defiantly the arm of an IS.

"Wait, you can't be! Are you Jayden Sylvan!?"

"One of the guys who can pilot an Infinite Stratos machine." He didn't want to believe that kid had a weapon like that on him.

Any bravado the guys had formed had now vanished into thin air. The guy in the beanie let go of her hand and backed away.

Jayden smirked and gave a thumbs up with his partially deployed arm. He moved in putting himself between the two guys and the to keep them away from her.

"Ah so you DO know who I am.

He took a step forward prompting the punks to respond by stepping back. Oh, how the tides had changed.

"Now why don't we all just go our separate ways all right?" He held up his IS arm as a warning.

The guy in the beanie clenched his fist.

"You stupid brat, you think-"

Before he could do anything the second guy put a hand on his shoulder. He gave his partner a look saying this wasn't worth it. Reluctantly, he was forced to agree.

"You cocky brat, if it weren't for the IS, you'd be in a world of hurt, you hear me!"

The two teen punks walked away, giving Jayden a very rude one fingered gesture till they were out of sight. Now that they were gone Jayden returned his arm to normal.

"Are you okay, did they hurt you or anything?" He asked.

"No, I'm all right. They just wouldn't take no for an answer. Are you really Jayden Sylvan?

"Yup. That's me. Male pilot of the Infinite Stratos." A girl knew who he was. His face just wouldn't stop smiling. Though the girl didn't share his smile.

"You shouldn't be using your IS to hurt people." She scolded.

"I wasn't going to hurt them; just scare them off. Honestly I'm glad they didn't call my bluff." Even if it was in self-defense, using an IS against regular people looked bad on him. "I just didn't want things to turn into a brawl."

"You could've achieved the same result by finding an adult or a police officer."

It seemed like her intention was to scold him but the way she spoke so quietly made it hard to tell if that was the case. She did succeed in making Jayden feel guilty.

"I just wanted to help… You looked like you were in trouble and…"

The green haired girl sighed.

"I can't fault you on that and you did manage to help me. Thank you for your help."

"Oh! Uh….You're welcome…. Sorry I never got your name."

"My name is Vishnu. Vishnu Isa Galaxy." She quietly introduced herself with a bow.

"Nice to meet you."

They remained standing there. neither one knowing how to proceed from here. Jayden was taking a good luck at Vishnu.

That darker skin tone defiantly hinted she wasn't from Japan, and her dark green hair made her look pretty exotic to the young boy. Not to mention she was well endowed in the chest area, bigger than Cecilia but smaller than Houki. And her legs, they looked so smooth and that tan skin color only highlighted them.

"Is there a problem?" Her face started to fluster from his staring.

Jayden blurted out the first thing on his mind.

"You have nice knees!"

Vishnu stared down at herself. Immediately crossing her legs to cover as much of her knees as possible. Jayden wasn't sure what after dropping that bombshell.

Speaking of bombs, tt was like the aftermath of one going off. Silence hung in the air like a thick cloud. Eventually someone had to break the silence.

"Okay umm…. Look. I'm thankful for your help but I think I should go." She gave a polite bow of thanks and ran past him.

"Wait!"

He watched as she ran off out of the alley, and just like that she was out of sight. His jaw dropped as his hand remained out, praying she would come back.

"Come back…"

She didn't.

His head drooped in disappointment. Jayden had acted all cool and blew it in the end thanks to his stupid hormones. He figured only him could make a girl run away even after saving her like that. Still he was heroic back there. Jayden saved a girl and creeped her into running away, that evens out in the end, right?

/-/

On the outskirts of a town in some small motel, Irene rolled about in her bed, doing minor things to pass the time. At this point she was about to die of boredom and ready to accept death.

After her failed mission where it was deemed, she lost to a nobody pilot and a child, her higher ups decided it would be best for her to lay low and stick to supporting roles. Not that they didn't trust her abilities, but because they couldn't trust her skills.

Now the terrorist was forced to wait on stand-by in Japan until she received her orders. Her latest home base was quite the marvel. A dingy motel room complete with peeling paint corners and a TV that got 10 channels at best. The owner had spared every expense they could to meet the requirements of what a person would consider a 'livable' room.

Still, it was a low-profile place that didn't ask for identification and didn't ask any questions.

She checked her burner phone once again, counting down the seconds on the screen.

"Three….Two….One…"

Right on cue, the phone rang to life.

"Hello?"

"I take it you're Irene?"

The voice on the other end sounded female, belonging to a girl most likely teen.

"That's correct. I take it you're the person I'm supposed to work with?" Irene asked.

"That would be right. Judging by your file, you must be Irene. I read your file so no need to introduce yourself." The voice said. "As for who I am, you can call me boss. Starting now, that's what I am to you."

Irene scoffed.

"Were supposed to be working on this together. It's a joint mission"

"You say joint, I say I'm in charge."

"There's no way I'm taking orders from some stupid brat who sounds like they're still in school."

"Well I have to be in school for this to work. If you don't like then we can ask the higher ups all about this mission, I'm sure they'll be thrilled to discuss the terms of our work with you and I. Tell me, how disappointed did they look when you came back empty handed?"

Irene grinded her teeth.

"Never mind."

"Never mind… what?"

"Never mind _boss_." Irene choked out that last bit.

"Good. Now after your last blunder you were shelved for a while to let to the heat on your die down. Oh, by the way, I read the mission report and it gave me a great laugh. It was almost magical how you screwed up such a simple kidnapping. In the end, someone had to be sent to save your pathetic ass."

Every time someone brought up that memory, Irene wanted to murder someone. She didn't care who, anyone to satisfy her anger.

"If that bitch hadn't shown up when she did, the child and the IS would've been mine."

"Oh, you simple, simple woman." The girl on the other end of the phone taunted. "One little problem and everything goes up in smoke."

There was nothing wrong with Irene. Her physical or combat abilities were fine, and she was smart to handle think of ways to deal with situations. If a problem arose, she could think of a way to solve it.

A single way.

Once Irene thought of an answer, she tended to stick with it to the end, for better or worse. That stubborn thinking would create issues if plan A failed. There was never a plan B or beyond to work with.

"Our leaders thought it would be best if you were moved to a supportive role rather than doing the action yourself. Now, you're going to be helping me keep tabs on the IS units at IS Academy, me from the inside and you from the outside. So just think of me as your new boss that you report to. Kay?"

Irene's head fell back onto her pillow. Now she was taking orders from someone almost half her age. Oh, how far had she had fallen.

"I'll also be trying to get in close with those who have personal IS units. I made friends with a few of those girls, but I'm looking to get chummy with the guys, one of which you should be familiar with."

Irene pictured that stupid boy's face. "Jayden." Her voice sounded full of venom.

"Good, you remember him. I need you to Tell me a little about him, anything that'll help me break the ice with the munchkin."

"The brat loves video games, and he's got a thing for older women." Irene answered.

"Wow…Are you describing Jayden or every prepubescent boy in the world? Give something more specific that I can actually use. You _can_ do that right?"

The phone in Irene's hand was on the verge of breaking into tiny pieces.

"Talk to him about the IS. Weaponry, pilots, aerial maneuvers, etc. The kid loves to talk about it. He's a huge IS fanboy. Talk to him about space, he's like a mini encyclopedia about planets, stars, and all that junk, And I wasn't speaking lightly about his lust for older women. That perv would always try to sneak peeks at my curves when he thought I wasn't looking. Just play off his advances and show a little skin. He'll defiantly remember you."

It sounded like she was writing all that down.

"I'll make sure to put it for good use. I think for done for now. There are some things I need looking into, but… I don't want you screwing up just yet. So, keep a low profile and wait for further orders. Toodles."

The phone buzzed an empty tone. Hanging up the phone, Irene buried her head in her pillow. Demoted from field agent to child guidebook and information gatherer. When she had joined this organization, she wanted to make a difference, not to do menial tasks assigned to grunts.

After mentally telling herself things would work out sooner or later, she no longer felt the urge to rip her pillow in two. All she had to do was complete some assignments and surely, she'd be back in the field.

For now, all she could do was play the waiting game, a game Irene hated to play.

/-/

"Do you always shop this much when you go out?" Ichika hefted up the bags in his arms to make sure he didn't drop any of them.

The two had made quite the haul in only a few hours. Through all their shopping, Ichika had managed to pick up everything he needed along the way. Why was he still with Cecilia? Someone had to carry her bags, and he couldn't refuce. He walked along with a half dozen bags on his arms. Cecilia on the other hand walked alongside Ichika, seemingly looking at his eyes and following wherever his gaze went. Eventually Ichika took notice of it.

"Something up Cecilia? Do I have something on my face."

"You don't. It's nothing but I've noticed that you look around at people often while we've been walking. Are you looking for someone?"

"Oh that. I just tend to notice when people look like they need some help. It must seem annoying doesn't it?"

Cecilia shook her head. "Not at all. That just means you're quite perceptive of small details. It's amazing how you're able to discern that just by looking. That's quite laudable if I do say so myself."

KYAAAAHHH!

A sudden yell drew everyone's attention.

At the corner of the sidewalk were two male punks. One with a beanie, and the other with a hoodie They stood near an elderly lady on the ground who was clutching her leg. She seemed to be in pain.

"Oh, shit man, this is bad. You bumped into that woman." The one in the hoodie said.

"Like I care that granny has nothing to do with the IS. Let's just pretend we never saw her." The punk in the beanie replied. The two began to walk away, acting as though nothing was wrong.

Cecilia shook her head, another display of men vs women only this time the men were the aggressive ones. It was rare but still possible, men acting like they were superior to keep their ego's inflated. Cecilia knew the best thing to do would be to walk away and let the matter settle itself.

"Hey! Hold it right there."

Ichika seemed to think otherwise.

He got their attention, running over to the lady to make sure she was okay.

"What do you want?" One of the guys asked.

"You made her fall down, shouldn't you be the ones helping her?"

The one in the beanie shook his head. "Oh perfect. Another guy wanting to be a white knight to get in good with girls." The beanie punk rolled his eyes. "First the brat and now you. Look man, she isn't involved with an IS and she's just an old lady so it's no big deal."

Ichika gritted his teeth. Hearing them talk like that made his blood boil. "Just an old lady? This has nothing to do with the IS or gender. It's about human decency."

"Then where's our decency. Women have been telling us what to do and we have suck it up and do whatever they say. Heck, even you're just some slave to a woman. You talk big but aren't you just being used to carry that woman's stuff?" He pointed to Cecilia whom was helping the elderly lady to her feet. "Tell me you aren't doing it for money or because she made you."

"Yeah, you're practically eating out of hand." The other punk joined his friend. "What? When she tells you to jump, do you say, 'How High?'."

"I'm not doing for any gain."

"Sure, you aren't, and I'm emperor of Japan."

She knew this wasn't her problem, but she couldn't help listening in. Hearing them talk about Ichika like that, and they way they acted as they were owed due to society. Cecilia felt… she felt…

She felt pissed.

"ENOUGH OF YOUR BANTER!"

Cecilia's command made all of them cease talking.

"He is a classmate of mine, not my servant! And he always volunteers to help. That isn't something to be ridiculed for."

"Classmate?" The punk in a beanie spit at the ground. "No matter how you look at it, you two obviously look like-"

"Did you not hear me when I said I wasn't interested in your prattle?" Cecilia wasn't having any of his talk. The glare in her eyes made a chill run down the punk's spine. "It is true that there are some men who feel inferior to women and I can't fault them for that. However, that doesn't mean men should be subject to abuse like that. And do you really let such notions affect the way you live your life?"

"Well…. He's just-"

Cecilia still didn't care what he said.

"You've built anger from how you've been treated; I understand. But venting your repressed anger onto others like that isn't right. It makes you no better than the woman who you let take advantage of you. If you don't like how things are then make a change. Low lives like you are nothing but preposterous." She pointed at them, concluding her words on the matter.

_Clap clap clap_

A whole crowd had gathered about, applauding Cecilia for her words, both men and women. Everyone was surprised by the crowd that had gathered.

"Tch. Let's get out of here."

"Y-yeah."

With the situation getting better, the two punks used the chance to scurry off while everyone was focused on Cecilia. Everyone except for one man.

"Hey, get back here!" Ichika prepare to give chase until the older lady placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's all right boy, let them go. I doubt they'll be barking up trouble any time soon."

Ichika and Cecilia helped her to a bench to let her recover and made sure she didn't have any injuries from the fall.

"Thank you for your help young man." She praised.

"I'm just glad I was there to help." Ichika accepted it.

The woman then looked at Cecilia. "And you to young lady."

"M-Me!?" Cecilia started to blush; she wasn't used to this kind of praise. She received praise for her skills and performance but never like this.

"Thank you again for your help." She got up, ready to depart. "And by the way, you two make a great couple."

"Couple!?" Ichika and Cecilia looked at each other than turned away.

Ichika blushed, thinking how that woman could get the wrong idea. Cecilia wouldn't have minded if it was true.

After all that, the two decided to head to the park to take a rest. Ichika leaned back onto the bench at the park. sighing in relief for the break he was getting. A rest in the park was a good time for him to recuperate. Never had a wooden bench felt so comfy.

He spent the whole day shopping with Cecilia though general stores, clothing stores, antiques, etc. Ichika also managed to buy what he needed along the way. Though he was the one carrying everything, not that he minded it too much.

"Here. You look like you could use this." She held out to him a canned beverage obtained from a nearby vending machine. Ichika happily accepted it to quench his thirst. Cecilia took a seat next to him, checking him out while she had the chance.

A whole day with him and Cecilia still couldn't figure him out. Ichika did something for people and asked for nothing in return. Even getting involved in other problems when it had nothing to do with him. Stopping his attack right when he was about to win a battle.

She knew the results of Ichika's actions, but why did he do it? She decided it was time to stop beating around the bush and get a direct answer.

"Why do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Everything! You go up to people you don't even know to make sure they're okay. And if you do help them, you don't ask for anything back. Not to mention you're always looking around to see if something is wrong. Why do you do it? What's your end goal?"

"Does it really matter?"

"YES!"

"Well… to be honest, I just like helping people."

A simple answer cause that was all there was to it. And yet Cecilia still seemed confused.

"So you do it because it makes you feel good? Like a dopamine effect?"

"Well…. Sort of. When I see someone, who looks to be in need, I just want to help them get out of their pinch. If there's anything I can do of course. I pay it forward and then a lot of people are happy." Ichika leaned back onto the bench. "Chifuyu-nee raised me to be like that, and I just can't turn away when I see someone in trouble."

"Even if someone offered a reward?"

"I mean if they really want to repay me, I don't mind. But I don't expect getting anything out of what I do when I do it."

Helping for the sake of others, and not expecting anything in return. It was unlike anyone Cecilia had ever met before. When people only befriended you just to get close to your money or for favors, it felt odd to be with someone who had no ulterior motives.

"Would you even help me?"

"Of course. I would help anyone who needed it."

Cecilia could feel her heartbeat faster than usual. A person who helped others just for the sake of others. She didn't understand it, and yet just hearing it made Ichika shine in her eyes.

"I wish I could be like that."

"I think you kind of are Cecilia. Back then, you stood up for me and called out those guys on their behavior. I didn't think you do anything like that, but you did. It really surprised me." Ichika complimented. "It was so cool of you to. How do I put this…? I feel like I have a better view of you now."

"Ichika…" Cecilia placed a hand over her chest. It looked like her had made its decision. She got up and walked ahead a few paced, this was no time to sit around, she had an image to maintain. She moved in front of Ichika with the sun shining on her and the wind gently blowing at her side. "Well have you just noticed it now? About how wonderful I really am."

Ichika tried to respond but no words came out. Cecilia was breathtaking, like a portrait come to life. The way her hair blew in the wind, her posture with her hand against her cheek. Ichika was stunned by her beauty and couldn't fathom an answer.

Cecilia smiled. Now she was completely sure. This was her prince charming and she was going to make him hers.

"Ichika Orimura, you are my prince." She whispered quietly.

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

"Err….I said… Come. Let's go the next store!" She declared.

"What! we're still going?" Ichika didn't get an answer as Cecilia pulled him towards the next store.

"Of course, we have six more shops I want to check out before the sun sets." She grabbed Ichika who had just managed to pick up all the shopping bags and pulled him along to continue the shopping spree.

/-/

"I think my feet are trying to kill me."

"You can still feel your feet?"

Both boys had managed to get on the same monorail back to the academy, each one sat collapsed on their seat. All the running, shopping, and encounters left them exhausted. Once Ichika and Cecilia had finished shopping, she took it on herself to decide what to take to the Academy and what to send back home to England.

"I can't believe girls do this for fun." Jayden wondered how women could take pleasure in this.

"Yeah, but a lot of them look extremely happy." Ichika saw that every girl in the mono-rail cart had at least one bag full of goods. "They must love to shop. Especially Cecilia"

"Cecilia!? How do you….Wait! Did you go shopping with her?"

Ichika gave a nod.

Ichika nodded. "When she's not acting all stuck-up, she's nice and kind of pretty."

"Pretty?"

Ichika flinched.

"Please don't tell her I said that."

Jayden only smirked and made a zipping motion to his lips. Ichika sighed in relief

"So how was your day? It doesn't look like you bought much." Ichika noticed that Jayden only had one small bag in his lap.

Jayden waved his hand signaling so-so. "Got chased by a mob, saved a girl, humiliated myself in front of said girl, and purchased a video game. Can't complain too much."

Ichika only nodded in response. The monorail pulled into the station where students got off one by one. Soon the guys got off and slogged along, rest sounded really good right now. As they walked in the crowd, Jayden's eyes dozed upon the backs of the heads of female students. All the blonds, brunettes, the one dark green, some light shades of brown… wait what?

Jayden had to be sure if it was her or not. He ran forward, pushing his way through the crowd, apologizing to anyone along the way. He made his way till he got behind her.

"Vishnu?"

She turned around and it was her face. Realizing he found her, she booked it.

"Wait. Hold on! I'm sorry!"

Every call and apology asking Vishnu to stop only made her run faster. Jayden tried to keep up but couldn't get to full speed due to exhaustion. The chase kept on till she ran past a corner. He tried to find again, but he couldn't spot that dark green hair in a sea of female students. He threw his head down in defeat, maybe it was just his imagination.

"Everything okay Jayden? You just ran off." Ichika caught up to him. "You just took off for some reason."

"It's…Forget it. It's nothing." She couldn't blame her for running away. Why did he have to compliment her legs? He felt so stupid. Ichika patted his shoulder to comfort him.

"I know what you mean, I feel like I forgot something today."

"Don't you mean someone?"

A murderous aura appeared behind the boys. They slowly turned their heads and there was Houki, who looked ready to rip someone in two.

"H-Houki!" Ichika gulped. "How was your day?"

Houki's right eye started to twitch.

"Oh, it started great. I was promised to go out with someone today. Then, we got chased by a mob all throughout town. And next thing I know, I'm ditched by everyone and ended up being chased for half the day. And when I eventually got caught no one would let me go until I answered every question I could about you two! My whole day was wasted thanks to that mob of fangirls and reporters. By the way, thank you for not looking for me after you ditched me!"

"Houki, I swear I wanted to find you, but I got held up shopping with Cecilia-"

Jayden winced.

Houki was flabbergasted.

"Cecilia! You went shopping with Cecilia!"

"Yes…" Ichika regrettably admitted.

"First you break your promise, than you go hang out with someone like her!?" Houki cracked her knuckles, getting ready to put them to good use.

"It was only a shopping trip for us, I didn't think it meant so much to you."

"Just…. A shopping trip?"

Ichika nodded.

"That's all it was?"

"That's all it was." Ichika confirmed. "What else would it have been?"

Houki's knee connected dead on with Ichika's gut, knocking the wind out of him and dropping him to the ground. Ichika clutched his stomach trying to get air back in to his stomach.

"YOU BIG IDIOT!"

Houki stormed off, ranting about broken promises and all that. Once she was gone, Jayden knelt over beside Ichika who was trying to fix himself.

"Are you okay man?"

Ichika shook his head, clutching his stomach.

"Yeah that looked like a mean kick... but on the plus side, you took it like a champ." He tried putting a positive spin on it.

_Wheeze cough wheeze_

"Yeah you messed up big time, but you didn't deserve to get hit." Jayden answered.

_Cough cough hack wheeze cough wheeze…. Cough hack_

"Wait you promised? Huh…. Maybe you deserved it a little, but she went too far. By the way, do you need help getting back to your room?

Ichika wheezed and coughed some more.

"You're right, that is a stupid question."

_Hack cough cough?_

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

_Hack cough cough?_

I've been hurt a lot physically, so I'm pretty good at understanding pain. I guess I just learned how to speak the language at some point. Now let's get you to your room." Jayden placed Ichika's hand over his shoulder, using the leverage to help Ichika walk.

**Think of this chapter like an intermission before the next arc begins, getting the players all set up and some character interactions for growth. Next, we enter the Rin arc, all hail the power of the Chinese Girl!**

**I also wanted to give Cecilia a legit reason for liking Ichika besides, "He beat me so he must be strong and now I love him." So, I hope I fulfilled that. And our first archtype breaker girl got her debut into IS fanfiction.**

**Thank you for reading and keep your sense of wonder.**

**Omake**

"She's probably pushing herself to her utmost limit, like working out or participating in a triathlon."

"No, no. I'm sure she goes to private meetings where the outcomes can impact the entire world."

"That's not good enough. I'm sure she's fighting against evil organizations that threaten our very way of life."

A small crowd in the lunch area had gathered around a table and were in a heated discussion.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ichika came over to see what the chatter was about. Jayden popped out from the crowd to explain.

"We're talking about Ms. Orimura. See, we're wondering what she does on her days off. Someone like her has to be doing something amazing and awesome but we can't agree what that is."

Ichika could feel his sweat drop, it was quite a serious image they had of his sister.

"We only know her as someone who's strict and cool when at work." Jayden's eyes flashed in brilliance. "But you're her brother Ichika. So, you must see her when she isn't working. Tell us what she's like. Come on tell us!"

"Well when she's not at work. She seems like a regular person. Just relaxing and being lazy." Ichika answered but it didn't look everyone was accepting it. "If you don't believe me, then see for yourself." He pointed behind everyone to where Chifuyu just happened to be.

There she was, the feared demon instructor of IS Academy, only instead of her business suit, she was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts. To top it off, she was wearing regular slippers. Chifuyu gave a yawn and took a seat at a table, pulling out a newspaper to read it.

"C-Chifuyu?"

The girls rubbed their eyes to make sure what they were seeing wasn't an optical illusion. Their strong and strict teacher was dressed like a college student waking up on a lazy Saturday.

Like broken glass, their image of Chifuyu Orimura had shattered.

Ichika knew this would happen. "I hate to burst your bubble, but that's what Chifuyu-nee looks like on her time off. Believe it or not, she may be an instructor from hell but at home she's quite messy. She'll give a half-hearted reply when talking, throw her clothes around, fetch things with her feet, and drink beer all day long. I'm the one that has to end up washing her panties and cleaning the house for her."

"No way…."

"It can't be!"

"Ms. Orimura….?

With every flaw the pieces cracked into even more pieces. People were covering their eyes and ears to reject the truth of their idol, Chifuyu Orimura.

Of everyone though, Jayden looked the most horrified. The woman who he'd come to see as a goddess among woman, whose videos he'd watched countless times was… No, she couldn't be like this. Denial was now his only weapon. "This can't be…. Chifuyu is the strongest there is! There's no way she's like this. It must be a lie or an act! The Chifuyu I've seen would never do those things."

"I'm sorry for destroying your image of her, but my sister is ordinary like everyone else." Ichika apologized.

"No, that can't be. Chifuyu is well above ordinary and I'll prove it!" Jayden scooped up a handful of some girl's breakfast. Before anyone could ask what, he was doing, he took aim at his teacher. **"**Hey Ms. Orimura, think fast!"

Winding up like an amateur baseball pitcher, Jayden took aim and threw the handful of scrambled eggs at Ms. Orimura, who had put down her paper to address him. It was too late to stop him and now everyone was watching the projectile soar.

Jayden smirked as he watched his work fly, imaging what she would do. Would she catch it in her fist in an instant or move to the side to dodge at the last second and showcase her skill. Or maybe she would-

_SPLAT!_

Get hit in the face with food…

Dribbles of egg laid splattered across Ms. Orimura's face as it dripped down onto her shirt. Everyone in the room was stunned.

Ms. Orimura stood up, wiped the food that was face and inspected the little bit that remained on her finger. Once confirmed it was indeed scrambled egg, she made her over to the one responsible for doing this.

Never had Jayden wished he could time travel 10 seconds to undo a mistake until now.

Everyone who was around Jayden scrambled to get away from the soon to be dead man. Jayden wanted nothing more than to do the same, but he was frozen with fear.

"Mr. Sylvan. Care to tell me what you just did?"

"I-IT-t-t-th-threw an e-egg at you ma'am!" He willed his body to move but no matter what he did, Ms. Orimura's gaze kept him in place.

"And why did you do this?"

Jayden gulped down all the saliva he gathered in his mouth.

"Well people were starting to think you were normal and average and I wanted to show them great you were."

"Oh? And you thought the best way to do that was to throw food at your teacher?"

"I only wanted to show everyone how great you were! That you would catch it midair or dodge it and everyone would see how cool you are. Please forgive me!"

"Is that so?"

Chifuyu gave a dark smile while cracking her knuckles. "Then how about I show you what I'm like on the weekend, and you can tell everyone all about it when were finished." She finished by cracking her neck to loosen up her joints.

Without any time for an answer, Chifuyu grabbed his wrist with an iron grip and dragged him along to their special one on one time. The boy reached for help with his free hand, but no one came to his aid. The will to help Jayden was outmatched by the fear of Chifuyu.

"Oh, and Orimura." She paused to address her younger brother. "Refrain from speaking that way about your teachers."

"Y-Yes Ma'am!"

Every girl stared as the Chifuyu dressed in casual clothes took him away to presumably never be seen again. Jayden cried out his last pleas for mercy and forgives. Those pleas fell on death ears as Chifuyu dragged him off to who knows where for their special lesson. The lesson to the students was clear though.

No matter what her outfit or location, Chifuyu was still the demon instructor of IS Academy.

**Even teachers relax on their time off, that doesn't mean they're any less vicious than usual.**


	7. Prelude to Advancing

**Hiya everyone. Stuck in my home during the quarantine with little to do but write. Well, might as well make use of the time given. Here's chapter seven of Change My Mind. **

/-/

The period was nearing its end as a class led by Maya Yamada was wrapping up.

"And that concludes our lesson." Maya concluded. She turned to the students to make her last announcement. "Finally, it has been decided that the representative for our class will be Ichika Orimura. It makes me happy that you all came to an agreement."

Ichika blinked. Something Ms. Yamada just said didn't sound right.

"Hold on, I lost the class representative tournament, so why am I the representative?"

"That's-"

"It is because I declined the position." Cecilia interrupted.

She stood up to address the class. "While you did lose the match Ichika-san, the outcome was already decided based on our skill level. After all, you were fighting against me. There was little you could do. And besides, upon reflection. I must admit my actions were childish." She blushed just recalling all the ways she insulted him. "There's nothing better to improve your skills with the IS than actual experience. Seeing as I already have so much experience, I decided to give the position of class representative to you to help you improve Ichika-san."

"You're so understanding Cecilia!"

"Seeing as he's a guy who can pilot an IS and our classmate, we have to give him our full support."

"You go girl!"

While the girls applauded Cecilia for her actions, one girl in the back looked mortified. Yua Tani couldn't believe what she was hearing. Cecilia was giving an undeserving male the class rep position. To that man who had barley ever piloted an IS and clearly had no experience leading others! She pinched herself to wake up from this nightmare, and yet she was still here. Her voices of objections were drowned out by all the praising Cecilia received for her kindness.

Cecilia basked in the praise and turned to Ichika.

"B-By the way Ichika-san. I do believe that if someone as skilled as me oversaw your training, your skills would improve more rapidly. Therefore, it would be best if I oversaw your training."

Houki stepped in. "Sorry but I'm the one training Ichika. He asked me to do so himself."

"Oh, if it isn't Ms. Shinonono who has a "C" in IS rank. Don't you think it would be better for someone with an "A" rank such as myself to teach Ichika-san?" Cecilia gloated.

"T-This doesn't have anything to do with rank!"

"C rank?" Ichika wondered what this talk of rank was about.

"It isn't all about rank you know..." Jayden threw his hat in the ring, having enough of Cecilia's boasting. If Cecilia wanted to boast how great she was, then he figured it'd be up to him to stop her. "You think just because you have a higher IS compatibility rank doesn't automatically make you a better pilot?"

"No. It's also because I'm far more experienced and skilled than both you and Ms. Shinonono combined. And pray tell. What is your ranking Jayden?" Cecilia asked.

Jayden mumbled inaudible words.

Cecilia put a hand to her ear. "What was that? Speak up" Cecilia mocked.

"I've been told mine is D." Jayden looked away in embarrassment.

"Um excuse me, what's all this about IS ranks?" Ichika asked. As the teacher, Ms. Yamada explained.

"IS-Compatibility ratings are a system to measure how well the IS responds to a pilot. The rankings are as followed from lowest to highest: E, D, C, B, A, and S. E is the lowest which means not compatible at all. This is usually for men and a very small amount of women. On the other hand, S ranking pilots have great compatibility and have been shown to have great response time in an IS and have a higher rate of invoking change in an IS."

"So, the higher rank, the more potential you have?" Ichika asked.

Maya nodded.

Jayden's head dropped to his desk as Cecilia laughed.

"But don't feel depressed Mr. Sylvan. With enough training and time, anyone's rank can rise up." Maya tried to cheer him up.

"Well rank doesn't matter! Only skill does." Jayden challenged.

Cecilia shook her head. Some men just didn't learn. "And you lack both of those. The system of rankings allow us to tell who is among the best of the best and who should know their place. If you ask me it's a perfect system."

"If you ask me it's a shitty system that has the skills and nuance of IS piloting reduced to single letters." A serious voice said from the room's entrance.

Silence hung around the room.

Chifuyu Orimura entered the classroom, returning from her meeting. Chills ran down the spines of all the students. She swatted Cecilia on the head with her signature attendance book to silence her boasting.

"That IS ranking test is nothing more than empirical testing with actual IS suits to serve as a benchmark for how well a pilot can interface with an IS."

Cecilia looked uneasy, as though all the bravado she'd built up just vanished.

"Your rankings and whatnot are irrelevant. In my eyes, you're all just baby chicks who haven't even managed to break out of your shells. So, don't go bragging about your so-called merits. And you should know that not even being S level compatible or a representative cadet will exempt you from learning what I'll be teaching. So, show some reservation you idiots."

No one dared to object to Chifuyu. Her message had gotten across crystal clear.

"Ms. Yamada, you told them the final results of the class rep tournament?" The green hair teacher nodded. "Your class representative will be Ichika Orimura, any objections?

The class was silent. Yua wanted to object but couldn't muster the will to speak up.

"Very well. The official class representative of class 1-1 is now Ichika Orimura. Congratulations."

Ichika's face fell onto his desk. He was now stuck with the responsibilities of class representative.

/-/

"Listen up Everyone. Today we'll be practicing basic IS maneuvers."

The next period was on basic IS maneuvers in one of the IS arenas.

The teachers Chifuyu and Maya were dressed in their white and blue tracksuits respectively while every student wore IS suits. Every personal pilot wore a custom-made suit with regular students wearing a school loaned IS suit. Except for one student who was wearing her school swimsuit.

"Orimura. Sylvan. Alcott. Try flying with your IS's." Chifuyu ordered.

"Yes ma'am" The three students chorused. Cecilia summoned her unit, Blue Tears instantly. Jayden was second summoning his with a cry of 'Nova Union'. After a bit of trouble, Ichika managed to summon his IS with a cry of 'Byakushiki.

"Sylvan. Orimura. Learn to summon your IS units without calling their names. Now all of you, fly. Get up to two thousand meters." Chifuyu ordered. They all nodded Cecilia rocketed off while the guys flew up behind her.

"You holding up okay Ichika?" Jayden spoke through the communication line.

"I'm managing, still not use to flying this though." Ichika replied.

"Ichika-san. It's just a mental image. All you need to do is find the image that works best for you." Cecilia advised.

Ichika thought about different things that could fly but none of it helped.

"Try thinking of yourself like a superhero flying while the front of you steers, that's how I usually do it." Jayden offered.

"My, how that kind of thinking suits you Jayden." Cecilia smirked. "It's the thinking of a boy, not a man."

"And what's that supposed to mean drill head?"

"It means there's much more to flying than using a pose. You have to take into account the anti-gravity wings and theory of flow interference." Cecilia lectured.

Jayden and Cecilia flew on ahead to the designated altitude where they proceeded to bicker like an old married couple on the process of IS flight and equipment.

Ichika flew up to meet with Jayden and Cecilia at the designated altitude. He watched as the two argued over the best way to fly. He decided the best course of action was to let them resolve it themselves. After the shopping trip it seemed like he and Cecilia how gotten closer, like the wall between them had broken down. However, the wall between Jayden and Cecilia was still as strong as ever.

Once they had remained floating, Chifuyu used a communicator to speak to them. Thanks to the vision of the IS's high grade sensors, all three pilots could see Chifuyu clearly, every from so far away.

"Orimura. Alcott. Sylvan. Execute a power dive from your current altitude and come to a complete stop. Your target is 10cm above the ground."

"Well, ladies first."

Cecilia took her cue and leaned her body forward to descend at a 45-degree angle. Using her thrusters on her feet, she leaned upwards. Placing her heels on the floor she let gravity do its thing and set herself on the ground with a flawlessly executed power-dive.

The guys watched Cecilia's maneuver from above "Wow. She totally nailed it."

"That's not so hard. Anyone can do that." Jayden dived downwards, flying quite similarity to how Cecilia flew moments ago. As he reached the ground, Jayden pulled up a little too early, leaving himself balance on the heels of his feet. Jayden circled his arms to keep his balance and managed to stay upright in the end. It wasn't perfect but it was a decent power-dive.

Not it was Ichika's turn, diving down to attempt the same maneuver. While he imagined the wings on his back, he didn't know how to stop himself. Lower and lower he dropped with no while not knowing how to rise back up. He waved his arms frantically trying to stop until he crashed into the ground, the impact leaving a sizeable crater in the ground.

Students ran the to the edge of the hole to get a better look. In the center of the hole was Ichika face down in the dirt. With a bit of struggle Ichika deactivated his IS and managed to pull his head out of the ground. He gasped for air while thinking about how he thought he was going to die.

Chifuyu walked to the edge of the crater to inspect the damage. "You idiot, who asked you to open a hole in the ground? I expect you'll take responsibility and fix this."

"Sorry about that. Chifuyu- I mean Ms. Orimura."

"That was pathetic Ichika." Houki called out to him. "How do you expect to pilot an IS when you can't-"

"Are you all right Ichika-san? Have you been injured?" Cecilia pushed past Houki, slid down the crater, and kneeled at Ichika's side. She then offered a hand to help him to his feet.

"Y-yeah, I'm just fine."

"I see. Thank goodness."

"He had his IS on, he couldn't have gotten hurt." Houki slid down the crater to join in.

"Oh Ms. Shinonono. Worrying about others is a fairly normal thing to do, even when a person wears an IS. It's a natural thing to do." Cecilia answered.

Houki wasn't buying it. It if was anyone but Cecilia's she'd believe it was out of natural concern. "Bull. You've always hated Ichika, ever since you first met him."

"Says the wolf in sheep's clothing."

"Much better than being a devil in witch's clothing I say."

They glared at one another, sparks flying between their eyes.

"Is it just me, or are they hating each other more than usual." Jayden whispered to Ichika. They watched as the female duo kept up their glaring contest.

"I think you may be right."

Figuring they'd be here a while, Ichika and Jayden climbed out of the crater. Houki and Cecilia were too caught up in their argument that none of them noticed Chifuyu Orimura standing behind them.

"You two idiots. You really love to fool around during my class, don't you?"

The girls tried to explain but were too petrified with fear to get a single word out.

Ichika clapped his hands together, praying for the safety of his friends.

/-/

***PA!* *PA!* *PA!* *PA!***

Party poppers popped in all directions as colorful ribbons and streamers rained down

Once classes were done for the day, the students of class 1-1 decided to hold a party for the celebrations of their new class rep. All four of the tournament combatants were at the head table next to one another. From left to right, Cecilia, Ichika, Houki, and Jayden sat in a booth as the party's guest of honor.

"Our class really knows how to throw a good party." Jayden stuffed his face with cake. A small section of the cafeteria was being used for the class's celebration.

Ichika rubbed his head, not used to all the attention. "It's still a bit embarrassing to be the center of attention, and I'm not even sure I'll do a good job as class rep."

Cecilia shuffled a little closer to Ichika, almost to the point of resting her head on his shoulder. "Don't worry Ichika-san. If you ever need assistance, I'll be glad to lend you my aid."

"Gotta say, I envy you Ichika." Jayden watched as Cecilia cuddled up to Ichika, whatever he'd done to turn Cecilia from hating his guts to was something Jayden wanted to find out. Maybe if he knew, girls would show the same kind of interest in him.

"Well aren't you Mr. Popular?" Houki said with sarcasm.

"You really think so?"

"Humph." Houki gave a cold response before taking a sip of her drink.

Before Ichika could imply further, a sudden bright flash emerged at the table. It was a girl with a camera in hand.

"Hi! My name is Mayuzumi Kakoruko. I'm a second year and I'm from the newspaper club. I'm here for a special interview for the people who fought in the class 1-1 tournament."

She placed her business card on the table for all to see, it looked well made for a high school student. She then held a tape recorder in front of Ichika's face.

"Please, Mr. Orimura. Tell us your thoughts on becoming the class representative and what you plan to do with your new position."

Ichika could feel his sweat drop, he hadn't expected anything like this. "I'll do my best, I guess."

Mayuzumi's smile faltered. "Really, that's the best you can say? Can't you give me anything better than that?" She folded her arms in disappointment. "Whatever, I'll just make up some content for you. Cecilia any words from you?"

Cecilia cleared her throat to speak. "While I'm not fond of doing interviews, I'll make an exception this time." Though she complained, she didn't seem disinterested. "I'd like to start with my reason for giving up the position of class representative-"

"Yeah that's way too long." She interrupted yet again.

"Y-You have to hear me out until the end!"

"Relax, I'll make up something for you to." Mayuzumi reassured. "I'll just say you've fallen for Ichika or something."

"W-Wha. W-What was that?" Her cheeks went red as she denied her allegation.

Jayden coughed into his arm to not so subtly draw their attention. "If you want, I can give you some words as well. I did fight Ichika to a close battle."

The reporter considered it than shook her head. "Thanks for the offer but I don't really need you. The readers are more interested in the finalists with their amazing battle. But you were good to. I'll be sure to mention you and Houki somewhere."

Making up things people said, and only interviewing high profile people. This girl would go far in the journalism industry.

"Now that I have your interviews, may I take a picture of you guys? Specifically, Ichika and Cecilia. You two were the center of attention with your personal IS units so a photo would be great for the paper. Oh! Can you two hold hands or something, that would really make it stand out."

Mayuzumi pulled Cecilia's and Ichika's hands together so they were touching directly. Ichika didn't seem to mind while Cecilia seemed to fidget.

"Perfect, hold that pose."

Jayden watched with jealousy as the girl focused the lens on her camera. The same could be said for Houki who was trying to glare a hole in Cecilia's face as Mayuzumi finished her preparations. Both had a look of wanting to interfere.

Mayuzumi held up fingers to count down.

"3"

"2"

"1"

"Smile!"

/-/

Cecilia was heading back to her room now that the party was dieing down. She looked over her keepsake from the party. A photo of just her and Ichika.

And Houki…

And Jayden…

And everyone who felt like jumping in.

Just when the photo was about to be taken, Jayden jumped into the photo. Then everyone seemed to take that as a cue to make it a group photo. Turning what should've been a photo of her and her beloved Ichika into a class picture.

"Maybe one of my maids can photoshop it." Cecilia neatly put away the picture for safe keeping.

"Hold it right there!"

From across the hall, a shy voice spoke out. Yua Tani marched right over to Cecilia.

"Ms. Tani, I trust you're doing well this evening. I didn't see you at the party but there should be some food leftover if you hurry."

Yua wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

"What do you think you're doing!?"

"Heading back to my room to retire for the evening." Cecilia answered.

"Not that! You gave that man the class representative position! I want to know why. You told me you'd make him kneel at your feet, that he wasn't worthy of being here!"

"I admit I did feel that way when I first met him. But after getting to know him, I saw some things in him that I hadn't considered." Cecilia recalled all the people Ichika help, especially that elder woman. "If you get to know him, you'll see he's different than other men."

"But… But the class representative position! You can't break your promise, Ms. Cecilia."

"I gave that to Ichika-san as my way of saying sorry. And I recall I only promised you that I would win the tournament, which I did do."

Yua started to panic. She couldn't follow Cecilia's kind of thinking.

"You talked so much about making him suffer, that you would show those men where they belonged. Why are you going back on your word!? Why!?"

Cecilia turned away from Yua to hide the blush on her face. "I'm afraid it's complicated.

"Complicated?" Yua's face lit up in realization. "Oh my god. You're in love with him, aren't you?"

The red that took over Cecilia's face confirmed it.

"Oh god! You are!" Yua grabbed Cecilia's shoulders getting into her personal space. "Ms. Alcott, please listen to me. You are better than those degenerate males. They will ruin your life and wreck your future. I know that's how it ends. It's happened three times to me, don't let the same happen to you."

She shook Cecilia, all the while begging her reconsider. "If we talk to Ms. Orimura now, there still may be time to get your position back."

Cecilia placed her hand in-between them to cease Yua's shaking.

"Ms. Tani. You may not think fondly of men, but I ask you give them a chance. Or at least Ichika-san. I believe he can do amazing things. And I want to be there when he does" After some difficulty, Cecilia managed to pry Yua's arms off her. "You have a dislike of men and I respect your decision but please don't force your views onto me. You may find a good man if you look hard enough."

"But there are no good men!"

"I see." Their viewpoints were too different to find common ground. "I think it would be best if retired for the night. I'm not in the mood to argue."

"Ms. Alcott, please wait!"

Cecilia turned her back and continued to her room. "Have a pleasant night Ms. Tani."

Once she was gone Yua fell to her knees. Her supposed ally had just abandoned her to the other side.

"Even you fell for their tricks Ms. Alcott?"

She clutched her shivering body, and her breathing increased. "Of course, what was I thinking relying on you Ms. Alcott Or relying on anyone?" Yua stood back up, gathering her thoughts. "You may not believe those men will ruin us Ms. Alcott but I do. If you won't do anything, then I will."

/-/

As Jayden returned to his room from the party, Professor Gelimer was there waiting right by the door to his room.

"Hey Gelimer, do you need something?"

The man looked up, putting on an obvious surprised face, "Ah hello Jayden. What a coincidence running into you here." Said the man who'd been waiting outside Jayden's room. "I just came to check up on you, see how you're doing and your plans for the IS."

"Oh, I'm feeling great, the class threw a great party for the class rep." Jayden answered.

Gelimer nodded. "And for your studies?"

"I'm going to practice tomorrow, get the hang of the controls and all that."

"That's good to hear. You're taking initiative. I thought you'd be wasting time screwing around."

"Yeah, and then I'll go for the leaderboards in competitive matches when I get the hang of it."

"Leaderboards? Rankings?" He wasn't sure what Jayden was talking about.

"Yeah, it's the main point of the game."

"Wait…. Are you talking about a video game?"

"Infinite Stratos, Battle Arena 3. Just came out." Jayden answered.

"And your plans for the 'real' Infinite Stratos?"

Jayden shrugged his shoulders.

Gelimer hid his clenched fist in his pocket. Was this kid seriously more interested in virtual IS's than real ones?

"So, you're saying you'd rather play with a virtual IS than a real one?"

"Well… it's complicated."

"Then uncomplicate it."

Jayden tried to think of something. "I just figure I should take my training slow and steady to soak it all in."

Somehow, Gelimer managed to resist the urge to pull Jayden to his height by his shirt collar. Instead he kept his calm attitude and tried again. Maybe if he explained Jayden would understand.

"Jayden you need to start taking your IS training more seriously."

"Hey, I'm going to all my classes."

"That's the bare minimum you should be doing." Gelimer countered. "As the owner of a personal IS unit, you should be doing more. You need to keep up your practice. You're already far behind everyone else, even with your own IS."

"Hey, I wasn't the one who made a hole in the ground at class today."

"And I'm thankful we've managed to drill the basics into your head before we got to this school." Gelimer sighed. "But you can't take it easy even though you're just beginning. Everyone here Is going to be trying to outperform you. And your lack of enthusiasm is really making me doubt you Jayden. What happened to that excitement you had when you discovered you could use my IS?"

"_Aww, such a big boy. You're really growing up. So much that I think it's time for you to leave the nest." Irene released her grip, dropping Jayden out of the sky._

Jayden shook those memories of his kidnapping out of his thoughts. "I'm just being realistic. I have a lot of time till I graduate school, so there's no need to rush."

"No need to rush? Do you think all your classmates are going to sit around in a classroom? News flash Jayden. One day of IS training in a real IS Unit is worth 10 days of classroom training. Not to mention I'd rather you be prepared instead of saying 'I'll do my best'."

"I'm good enough as I am."

"Is that so? Partially deploy the right arm of Edel Gleam. Right now."

A partial deployment. It was typically harder to bring out a part of the IS rather than everything at once. The pilot had to concentrate to bring out only what they wanted rather than releasing the entire IS.

"And do it without calling out the name of your IS."

Jayden closed his eyes, picturing only the right arm of his IS. He stood their trying to picture just the right arm and nothing else.

***YAWN***

Gelimer made a loud showing of yawning in a way too obvious manner. "Oh, don't mind me, I'm just standing here in boredom. You know, a good IS pilot would've deployed that arm in less that second."

Jayden continued to focus, picturing more and more of the right arm of Nova Union. When he was about to summon it, it felt like everything was going to come out at once, so he had to stop and try again.

Half a minute went by and no part of Nova Union had been deployed.

Gelimer tapped his foot impatiently. "I'm waiting."

"It, it'll be ready soon. Ahh, forget it! 'Nova Union'"

Jayden reluctantly shouted out the name of his IS. With his focus gathered, light surrounded his right arm and the dull green metal appeared. Even with it deployed, Jayden didn't feel any better. He'd only proven Gelimer right.

"You can only bring out the IS in a partial deployment by calling its name out. It's a beginner's method and the sign of an amateur." Gelimer folded his arms, having proven his point. "And this is why you need practice."

Jayden looked away from Gelimer. "Then I'll just study more."

"I don't need you to study! I need you to practice more with your IS. Heck, you still haven't achieved your first shift yet."

"I've been meaning to ask, why is that? Ichika got his barley after using his IS, so why hasn't Nova Union achieved a first shift."

"To be honest. I have no idea. Typically, an IS achieves a first shift after a few hours of usage with a pilot, however, you've yet to bring my IS to that level. All I can assume for now is that you need to practice more with Edel Gleam to bring out its first shift. So what's wrong, why are you not focused on practicing?"

Jayden pictured Irene once again. He didn't give Gelimer an answer.

"Okay then."

Gelimer turned to leave, but not before giving his final thoughts.

"I'm not criticizing your lack of skill; I'm criticizing your lack of initiative. You may be content to go the easy route and take it slow and steady but I'm not. I need data and results to improve my work. You're a child Jayden, but in this school, I'm going to treat you like an adult. If you can't show results, I WILL find someone else who can. And right now, I'm seriously considering finding someone else. Your job is a personal pilot is to grow and learn. So, start taking responsibility and do you damn job."

Jayden entered his room, any happy mood he had was killed thanks to Gelimer. So, what if he wasn't passionate about fighting in an IS? Just cause someone likes baseball doesn't mean they have to become a sports athlete. And it's not like he wasn't going to practice the IS at all, it just wasn't his top priority. Because he if he wasn't good enough, no one would force him to fight against threats.

"If Gelimer wants me to practice then I'll show him. Starting tomorrow." Jayden wanted the day to be over. He saw an unnatural lump under his covers. Pulling them aside revealed the fox clad pajama girl, Honne. She was fast asleep with her head on his pillow.

Looks like they were trading beds for the night again. Jayden climbed into Honne's bed to sleep.

/-/

The next day, Jayden walked into the classroom 1-1 where most of the class had already arrived. He overheard the students discussing something about some girl.

"What's going on guys?"

"Haven't you heard? A transfer student is coming to IS Academy! She's said to be a first year just like us."

"A transfer student? This early in the year?"

"Yeah. And that's not all" Sayuka pointed out. "She's said to be the cadet representative of China!"

"Oh my! I wonder if she's wary of my existence and decided to transfer in?" Cecilia posed with her hands on her hips. Her confidence was as high as ever.

"She can't possibly transfer into this class, right?" Houki didn't like the idea of another girl transferring in and getting close to Ichika.

Honne shook her head. "I've heard she's going to another. Definitely not ours."

Houki breathed a sigh of relief.

"I wonder what kind of girl she is." Ichika wondered.

"Well if she's a cadet representative, than she has to be strong." Jayden glanced at Cecilia. He hated to admit it, but she was a cadet representative and knew how to use an IS. He hoped that this new girl wouldn't be as arrogant as Cecilia.

"Ichika, you don't have time to think about other girls. The class rep tournament is coming at the end of the month. We need you to be focused."

"Class rep tournament? Like the one we just had?" Ichika asked.

"Sort of. It's a tournament for the class reps of the first-year classes." Sayuka explained. "The representatives from all our classes will fight each other tournament style. This tournament is to give the first years a realistic goal before we really start learning how to pilot an IS."

"And as a motivation bonus, the winning class rep gets their class half a year's worth of free desert coupons!" Honne said excitedly, imaging all the sweets she could get with her share of winnings. "Please win Orimu! You just have to win!"

"Well I'll do what I can. I have my own IS but I'm still not all that great with it." As the class rep, Ichika would be the one to fight for his class.

"Doing what you can isn't enough Orimu." Honne grabbed Ichika's shirt. "You have to win! Whatever it takes. Think of the dessert. If you win, it'll make me…. Err I mean everyone will be so happy!"

"Down Honne! Down girl!"

Jayden and Sayuka had to pry Honne off Ichika. Willpower and hunger could really make a girl move mountains.

"I did a bit of research this morning. Every class has someone with a personal IS unit except for class 1-2. So, they should be an easy win for you if you get matched with them in the first round." Yuzu said.

"Sorry but that information is outdated." A voice called out from the room's entrance. "Class 1-2 now has a representative with a personal IS unit. So, you won't have an easy win. Or any win for that matter."

She was a young teenage girl with light brown hair tied into twin tails, with a yellow ribbon at both sides. She stood there confidently with her arms folded over her chest.

While everyone wondered who this girl was, Ichika seemed to recognize her almost immediately.

"Rin? Is that you?"

The girl gave a cocksure smirk and aimed a sharp pointing finger at Ichika.

"That's right. I'm Lingyin Huang, cadet representative of China. And I've come here to declare war!"

**Our favorite Chinese Pilot has arrived. **

**The Rin arc now begins. Keep safe in these tough times and remember to take care of yourself. **

**Keep your sense of wonder and see you next time!**

**Omake**

"Thank you all for coming." Gelimer addressed his class, which consisted of only Ichika and Jayden.

Jayden raised his hand. "Gelimer? Why are we the only ones here?"

"Excellent question. You two are the only ones who need this lesson because it only affects you two."

The summons for them came from Gelimer himself who asked the boys be directly pulled from their main lessons for this. Neither guy knew what to expect. The boys gave each other a confused look as Gelimer wrote on the board.

"Boys. Welcome to How to Survive a Harem 101!"

Ichika and Jayden stared with blank eyes, unable to process this addition to their curriculum. Eventually Ichika decided to break the ice.

"What is-"

"This wonderful lesson?" Gelimer finished his sentence for him. "Why it's my guidance to you to make sure you both stay safe and alive at this all-girls school. Having girls go after you at this school will most certainly lead to your demise"

"Wait wait wait." Jayden interrupted. "How can having a bunch of girls chase after me be a bad thing. Heck, that's one of the bonuses for going to this school."

Gelimer shook his head. "Ah the ignorance of today's youth. Listen well you two." Gelimer's tone changed. "As of now your lives are in a state of danger and karmic imbalance. For every bit of fortune, you experience with the opposite sex, you shall experience misfortune in everything else. Not to mention these girls will tear you apart if you upset them. They have access to the IS, a military weapon capable of ending your life whenever they please. You need to be prepared for any disaster that can and will ruin your life. Do you understand Jayden? DO YOU!?"

Jayden quickly nodded his dizzy head in whatever direction he thought was vertical.

"Good. Now because you two are dumb. As in dumb enough to not realize that there are girls who love you-"

"What?" Ichika blinked.

"What? Gelimer echoed, and then ignored the conservation entirely. "Anyway, as you two are the only boys on an island full of hormonal teenage girls, some of them are bound to be attracted you. I don't know how, but they will. So, I'm going to give you advice on what to do and how to manage so girls don't kill you when you eventually screw up."

Gelimer sipped from his mug and proceed

"I recommend you both take notes so you don't forget…. As fast as you normally would." He gave them some paper and writing utensils and begun his lesson.

"Don't you think you're over reacting Mr. Gelimer?" Ichika asked.

"No. Now, we'll begin with basic advice to survive your harem. The first thing you need to do is not panic. This may sound obvious but you'll be surprised by how crucial this is." Gelimer warned. "No matter how many girls try to kill you for an accident you unintentionally or accidently caused, keep calm and run away."

Ichika raised his hand. "Shouldn't you try to explain that it was an accident instead?"

Gelimer laughed at the fruitless question.

"No. Any excuses you make will fall on deaf ears. Those girls will be too blinded by anger to even consider that it's a misunderstanding. Your best option is to book it and avoid contact with them until they settle down. Trying to explain yourself will only lead to you getting hurt. Remember, just keep calm and run away."

Ichika decided to ignore that while Jayden scribbled furiously on his paper.

"Second," Gelimer moved on. "Maintain constant awareness of what's around you. You must always be aware of your surroundings. One minute you're walking around the corner minding your own business, and the next you're on top a girl with your face in her crotch and your hand somehow on her breast. Then a second girl will trip over you and her butt will be in your face with your other hand's groping her breast. Then more girls more will appear and see the position you're in and call you a pervert."

"That seems very unlikely." Ichika said. "And extremely specific..."

"Happens to one in every three harem protagonists." Gelimer pulled out a chart to show them the evidence. Before Jayden or Ichika could question legitimacy of such study, Gelimer moved on with his life saving lesson.

"Lesson number three. Keep your hands closed." Gelimer opened and closed his palms for emphasis.

"What?"

"With the way the world is now conspiring against you, you're going to get into physical contact with your female friends. Their boobs and butts will be like magnets to your hands and they will try to kill you when you eventually make contact. To minimize the damage, keep your hands in closed fists. That way you can't accidently slide their skirts off or cup their boobs. Do note this will change your crime from sexual harassment to physical assault, but this is a much better alternative."

Ichika brought his palm to his forehead. He considered himself a patient man but this was quickly draining him of that patience. "This is just ridiculous. And no one would ever need this so-called advice. Back me up Jayden."

"Punch…. lots of…. boobs…" Jayden finished writing.

Well if you can't beat them. Join them. Ichika gave up and wrote it all down.

"Now there's a lot more to go over but these will serve as the basics. If you take my advice, you two will be able to survive your harem."

"And yours." Jayden mentioned.

"Pardon?" Gelimer blinked.

"You said every guy here gets a harem. So that includes you MR. Gelimer."

Gelimer laughed, waving the idea away. "No no no, the girls here are much to young to take an interest in me. And unlike you boys, I have a legit reason why I can't date them. I'm their teacher" He continued to laugh the idea off.

"What about the staff?" Ichika pointed out.

Gelimer's laughter ceased.

"What? Well… um…."

Jayden realized what Ichika was getting at and clapped his hands together in realization. "Yeah, all the teachers are female, and most of them are about your age Gelimer. Early to mid-twenties, just like you."

Gelimer was starting to break into a sweat. He was too old for the students but the staff at IS Academy was a different story. He focused so much on Ichika and Jayden that somehow, he forgot to consider himself.

"So that means…"

"No no no."

"You Gelimer…."

"Don't say it!"

"You're the only male teacher in a school full of female staff." Ichika and Jayden said in unison.

Gelimer was a stubborn man, rarely ever admitting he made a mistake. This time however he had no choice but to admit it, otherwise death would claim him.

"EVERY MAN FOR THEMSELF!" Gelimer bolted out the door like the room was on fire.

As bad as the situation was, Gelimer knew he could still salvage this. All he had to do was build a bunker, stock on food and water, make all his classes online, and avoid his fellow female staff for the rest of the year.

Gelimer sprinted through the halls too deep in thought that thought that he didn't look ahead of him as he crossed the corner. There he ran into Maya and Chifuyu. Literally running into Maya and Chifuyu, he crashed into them, inviting them on a trip to the ground.

"Sorry about that ladies." Gelimer apologized.

"**SQUISH"**

"Mmh!"

"Mmh!"

As Gelimer tried to get up, two moans emerged from the women under him. And the ground felt so squishy. Gelimer believed that if he prayed hard enough, he wouldn't be grabbing what he thought he was grabbing.

Up in the heavens, the gods heard Gelimer's prayer and denied it.

In his palms were a heaping handful of Maya's and Chifuyu's breasts. Big enough that his hand couldn't completely cover them. Gelimer's heart was beating rapidly, and definitely not because he was enjoying the dough in his hand. Everyone was too much in shock from move from their position. Somehow though, Gelimer managed to tear away his eyes from their jugs and on their faces.

Chifuyu was deciding which part of Gelimer's face she should introduce her fist to.

"Mr. Brighton, would you care to explain what the hell you're doing before I end you?" Chifuyu cracked her knuckles.

Maya on the other hand was turning redder and redder, trying to look anywhere else besides Gelimer's eyes.

"M-Mr. Brighton, we shouldn't do this. I mean… at least not like this. Maybe if we got to know each other better first then..."

To make matters worse, from out of nowhere a bunch of female staff had gathered to witness the scene. Cries of "prevent" and "scum" came from the crowd.

"I'm too late."

It was over. In Gelimer's panic he'd broken every rule he taught and was now at the mercy of fate and clichés.

The harem curse had claimed another victim.

**Legends say that any male who attends to IS Academy will be blessed with a harem of lovely ladies, be you a young boy or older adult. Keep an eye out for the Gelimer spin off story as he survives his IS staff harem. **

**Special thanks to Gigguk and his "Harem PSA" for inspiring me to make this Omake.**


	8. My childhood friend is back?

**After a long while here's the next chapter. The Covid-19 issues have been keeping me busy, and I'm sorry for taking so long to complete this. Keep safe everyone.**

**Here's chapter 8.**

"That's right. I'm Lingyin Huang, Cadet Representative of China, and I've come here to declare war!" The new girl stood at the door of the class, pointing a finger to officiate her claim.

No one was sure what to make of what was going on. The transferee student had come in and just declared war on their class. Rumors also said this girl was the representative cadet of China, so they couldn't tell if she was serious or not.

Meanwhile Ichika was laughing out loud at the whole thing.

"Good one! What do you think you're doing Rin?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Ever since we were kids you always felt the need to act tough."

"That's because I am tough!"

"Oh, come on Rin. Your my childhood friend so I know you better than anyone. Acting cool like that seriously doesn't suit you.

"Well I could say the same about you."

The teacher of class 1-1 than walked up behind her.

"Hey you."

"Now what?" Rin turned to her, and immediately wished she didn't. Chifuyu Orimura was right there. Just seeing her reminded Rin of frightful memories from years ago. "Chi-Chifuyu!" Rin's legs started to shake.

Ms. Orimura brought her attendance book lightly down on Rin's head. "That's Ms. Orimura. Now stop blocking the door and go back to class 1-2. Homeroom's about to begin."

"Yes ma'am!" Rin obeyed. She stepped out of Ms. Orimura's way, giving Ichika one last look before she left. "I'll be back later, so don't you dare run away Ichika."

Chifuyu started the morning address to get class underway. As Ms. Orimura went on about future lessons, a few students were more focused on that new transfer student. Specifically Houki and Cecilia.

'Who was that girl?' Houki wondered. 'She seemed to be quite friendly with Ichika. And what did Ichika mean by childhood friend? I thought I was his childhood friend.'

'I wonder who that girl was from earlier?' Cecilia wondered. 'She was way too friendly with Ichika-san. How does she know him when I've only known him for a few weeks? That's too big a head start over me; I demand a fair and square match!'

"Shinonono, Alcott" Ms. Orimura growled.

Both girls froze. Having Chifuyu Orimura call your name in class like that was never a good sign. Their hearts were pounding, and not the same way when they looked at Ichika.

"Are my lessons that boring to you?" She raised an eyebrow.

_**THWACK x2**_

Both girls rubbed the newly formed lump on their heads. Everyone in class put off any thoughts that didn't have to do with the current lesson, less they be on the receiving end of an attendance book.

/-/

"I knew you'd come here. I've been waiting for you, Ichika!"

The girl from earlier stood by the back of the school lunch line, figuring Ichika would show up there sooner or later for lunch. She waited with hands on her hips with a smug grin on her face.

"We'll it's the main place to get food in this school so of course I'd be here." Ichika pointed out.

"Of course. I knew that…"

"But man, it's been about a whole year since I last saw you. I can't believe your class 1-2's new transfer. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Don't be stupid, if I'd done that. It would've totally ruined our dramatic reunion."

"Still it's great to see you again. Have you been good?" Ichika asked, eager to reconnect with his childhood friend.

"I'm doing just fine. What about you? Maybe you should get sick or injured for a change."

"Now why would you wish that? Anyway, when did you return to Japan? How's your mom? And when did you become a representative cadet?" Ichika threw out loads of questions to catch up with his old friend.

While Ichika talked with his old friend, his newer ones had come up to them. Jayden, Houki, and Cecilia were all here.

"Hi Ichika, who's your new friend?" Jayden asked.

"Ichika, it's time you explain everything." Houki demanded.

"That's right, how do you know this girl and why are you so friendly with her?" Cecilia folded her arms, trying to star down the new student.

The were staring down Ichika expecting answers. Some more eager than others.

"Well it's kind of a funny story." Ichika sheepishly said. Occasionally he glanced back at Rin wondering if it would be better for her to explain. Those odd looks didn't go unnoticed.

"Wait don't tell me." Jayden interrupted. "You're going out with her aren't you Ichika?"

Cecilia and Houki's jaw dropped.

"W-Wh-wha-what!? No." Rin denied. Her cheeks turned a light shade of red."It's not true. Why would you even think that!?"

"Yeah. We're just childhood friends." Ichika said before anyone else suggested another misunderstanding.

"But I thought I was your childhood friend." Houki said. She'd known Ichika for years and never once had she seen this girl. She knew Ichika wasn't a liar, but she'd never seen that girl before.

"Childhood friend?" Rin raised an eye at Ichika.

"It's not what you think. Just let me explain First we should find a palce to sit, then I'll tell you everything. He scoped the cafeteria to find a spot for everyone to sit at. It was rush hour at lunch and all the larger tables and booths were filled, which didn't leave enough space for five people to sit together.

"Hey Ichika, you remember what we did in middle school for lunch sometimes right." Rin recalled.

"What do you… " Ichika's eyes widened remembering an old pastime he and her had back in school. "Ah! I get what you're saying. Follow me everyone. I know a good place where we can eat."

Once everyone had their meals, Ichika led the group through the halls and up some stairs. Everyone wondered where Ichika was taking them, except for Rin who seemed to somehow already know. He led them up to the roof of the school, which was designed for student use. Waist high metal gates were on the edges of the roof tops and the ground was covered in artificial grass in the center of the rooftops. Not to mention the spectacular view of the ocean and school grounds one could get from this high up. Overall, it looked like a great place which made everyone wonder why they didn't hang out here more often.

"I didn't think the school would let us up here. Or that their rooftops would look this nice. This place really does have everything." Jayden bent down to feel the grass. The color showed it was fake, but it felt so much like the real thing. Everyone was impressed the school went this far to make the place hospitable. "I can't believe we get this place all to ourselves."

"Not exactly. We aren't the only ones here." Cecilia pointed out. At the end of the grassy field was another girl with her back to the group. She had an IS uniform with what appeared to be a Thai coat woven into the uniform with red ribbons.

Jayden couldn't see her face, but with that dark green hair, he was certain of who that was. Well… more like 80%. 80% was close to certain right?

"Vishnu?"

The girl seemed to freeze hearing her name called. She slowly turned her head. seeing Jayden. And then all the people there. She started to shift about as all their eyes were on her while her breathing quickened.

Then she coughed.

And coughed.

And continued to cough.

And started coughing violently while pressing her hands into her stomach.

Recognizing what was going on, everyone rushed over to her. Jayden held out his drink from his lunch to her. She immediately snatched it and guzzled down the beverage to ease the food caught in her throat. The coughing soon ceased as the lump in her throat soon went down into her stomach. Soon Vishnu was taking deep breathes to calm herself.

"That was close." Vishnu breathed in relief as she caught her breath.

"Are you all right?"

"You gave us quite the scare."

Vishnu nodded and slowed her breathing down. Everything was okay now. Just her and-

Vishnu's eyes bolted open, realizing who was in front of her.

"That's a relief. I'm happy to see you're okay." Jayden said.

Everyone gathered around Vishnu to make sure she was okay. With so many people around, Vishnu started to shift about, her gaze now at everyone's feet.

"Everything okay?" Ichika asked, moving closer to check on Vishnu, only she moved back in response. Vishnu squirmed uncomfortably as they crowded around her. Anywhere her eyes moved she could still see someone. She bundled up trying to make herself smaller as though she was invisible. It didn't work.

With a scream Vishnu grabbed her belongings and bolted away, dropping bits and pieces of her meal as she made a hasty exit.

"Well… she was interesting." Rin said.

"Did you know her Jayden? She seemed to recognize you." Ichika asked.

Jayden tiled his hand in a sorta-kinda motion. 'We've met but were not that close."

"I feel like I've seen her before." Cecilia tried to remember.

"Well she's she seemed fine so let's eat. I'm getting hungry." Rin declared.

Everyone decided to leave it at that. Sitting in a circle on the fake grass to eat. Now that everyone was settled Ichika decided to explain who the new transfer student was.

"Everyone, this is Lingyin Huang, but she prefers to be called Rin. She's my childhood friend." Ichika introduced. "Rin, these are my friends from school. Houki. Jayden, and Cecilia." She eyed the people Ichika had met at school, looking them over.

"Quite the group of females you've gathered Ichika." Rin remarked. "You always were nice to the girls."

Jayden's pride took another hit as once again, he was mistake for a girl.

"Rin that's Jayden, the other guy at this the school."

Rin stared deeply at Jayden, soon widening her eyes in realization. "Wait you're really a guy!"

"Yes, I'm a guy!" Jayden snapped. "I know I look girly and my hair is long, but I am a guy. I just look young, got it!" Truthfully, he looked young because he was 13 in a school for 15 year olds and above, but getting into the school meant no one else could know that.

"Sorry, I thought you were girl with those looks. Not like I knew who you were."

"How do you not know me? I made national headlines when people learned I could pilot an IS."

"Yeah I don't pay much attention to other pilots." Rin waved if off.

"That's it." Sick of waiting for her question to be answered, she took the initative herself. "Ichika. What did you mean by her being your childhood friend? Aren't I your childhood friend Ichika?"

"Oh right. This is the first time you've met. See. Houki, you moved out once 4th grade was over. Rin here moved in at the start of 5th grade and we became friends. And then she went back to China at the end of the second year in middle school, so its been about a year since we last saw each other. So, you were my first childhood friend, and Rin was my second."

"I'm first…" She know why but the sounding of that made Houki very happy.

"Rin, this is my other childhood friend Houki. The girl I walked home with and to the kendo dojo during elementary school. " Ichika introduced. "I've told you about her."

"I see. It's nice to meet one of Ichika's old friends. I hope we can get along well together."

"Yeah, the feeling's mutual."

The two exchanged formal greetings, all while staring each other down. Maybe it was the fact they each knew Ichika for years but both of them could recognize the other had a thing for Ichika.

"Wait hold on." Jayden cut in. "I thought her name was Lingyin."

That was the name she used when she declared was on class 1-1.

"Well that's my official name but I prefer the name Rin. Lingyin is too Chinese for me." Rin answered.

"But… aren't you Chinese?"

"Rin wasn't fond of her name in school. She got teased a lot for it by other kids, so she went by something else." Ichika explained.

"it made things difficult, so I found it easier just to call myself something different. And it's a name I prefer to have my friends call, so feel free to call me Rin everyone."

"Ahem" Cecilia spoke into her fist. "It would be quite if you had forgotten about me. The cadet representative of England."

"Yeah I have no idea who you are."

"What!? You don't recognize me, Cecilia Alcott. The cadet representative of England? As a cadet representative you must be aware of others who hold that title."

"Nope." Rin waved her off. "I don't care about the other countries."

Cecilia's faced was turning red with anger. "What did you just say? For your information, I'm not someone who'll be defeated by someone like you."

Rin stretched her hands and rested her hands behind her head. "If we do fight, I'm going to win. Sorry to burst your bubble but I'm quite formidable." Her words had no malice to them but there was plenty of self-confidence to go around.

Cecilia pounded her fist on the grass. "That's quite the nerve you have. A representative cadet should have a better attitude." The British cadet was growing weary of her attitude. How did this girl even become a cadet rep in the first place?

"So Ichika, I heard you're class one's representative." Rin lost interest in Cecilia and went back to Ichika.

"Yeah it turned out that way. Now I have to train for the upcoming class rep match." The tournament where Ichika would be fighting against the class reps of the first-year classes.

"You know Ichika. I wouldn't mind overseeing your IS training." Rin offered.

"Really? That would be aw-"

"That's not necessary." Houki cut him off. She refused to let that girl take away her position as Ichika's trainer.

"Ichika asked me personally to train him for fighting."

"Didn't your training only get him to second place in the last tournament?" Jayden pointed out. A glare from Houki shut his mouth got him.

"Besides we don't need someone from another class spying on our class rep." Houki said. "You're from a different class anyway"

"I just want to help my friend. And I've known him for quite a long time so I'm sure to be a better teacher for him. Not to mention I have an IS of my own, and those with IS units should train together. Are you a cadet representative to Houki?"

Houki bit her tounge to keep her mouth shut. She couldn't let herself concede Ichika to that Chinese show-off. "Well I've known him for even longer than you have. In fact, Ichika's eaten at my home before. That's how close we are," Houki smugly stated. Rin was completely unfazed though.

"He's eaten at mine to." Rin said like it was nothing and slurped down some noodles. "Practically every week when we were kids."

Houki and Cecilia deadpanned. What did she just say? This girl and Ichika were that close! They turned to Ichika, expecting an immediate answer. Even Jayden was staring down Ichika, wanting all the juicy details.

"Calm down you two." Beads of sweat dropped down Ichika's face. He never knew they were so interested in food. "I just went to the Chinese restaurant that her family owned. It was easier than cooking for myself and Rin's family gave me a discount."

"Oh. A restaurant. That's all there is to it. Then it's nothing out of the ordinary." Both girls sighed in relief.

"Speaking of which, how's your dad doing Rin? He should've recovered by now, right?"

"What… erm, he's doing well... I think" She seemed rather depressed about it, fiddling with some of the fake grass.

Before anyone could imply further, a bell rang about the academy. It was signaling lunch period was about to end.

"Oh, would you look at the time, gotta go. I'll see you after class Ichika. Bye!" Rin immediately grabbed her things and ran off before anyone could speak. Seeming way too eager to get out there. For the second time that period, everyone watched another girl leave the rooftops in a hurry.

"Forget about her Ichika, you need to prioritize your time. It won't be long before the tournament." Houki said.

"Ichika-san. May I remind you not to waste precious time." Cecilia scolded.

The two girls looked at one another, nodding in confirmation. While they had a common enemy, they could put aside their differences to work together to make sure Rin didn't win. And so a shakey but necessary alliance was formed.

The boys, however, were totally clueless to what they were thinking.

"Hey Ichika. Is it just me or do the girls seem really interested in IS training today?" Jayden asked.

"They must really want me to win. Probably for the meal tickets. I never knew Houki or Cecilia were that that into food."

The two girls shook on it. Together they would make sure Rin didn't win.

/-/

Rin paced around the outside the arena. She'd been out here for about half an hour after classes ended. All for a certain boy to arrive for IS training. And if those other girls were there, she'd show them how much better she was at the IS and why she was best suited to help Ichika.

"Any minute now. He's bound to show up." Rin whispered silently.

Rin's patience was about to pay off as she heard someone walk into the arena. Rin folded her arms, it was showtime.

"I've been waiting for you… Oh it's just you." Rin's mood soured. As she wanted, there was a guy here now. Just not the one she wanted to see.

"Hey Rin, you out here for IS practice to?" Jayden greeted her with a wave hello. He was in his two piece dark green IS suit. "I thought I booked the arena for myself but I'm happy to share.

"Something like that. Say… Is Ichika coming?" Rin checked and no else appeared to be coming.

"Well he's training but not in this arena." Jayden answered. "He's in another arena. I think Houki and Cecilia were going to train him."

IS academy had multiple arenas on the island, which could reserved for students who wanted to practice piloting IS units, and honing their skills. Although mostly used by upper classmen, anyone could reserve an arena for a set amount of time to practice.

"So, he's with those girls again. I'll go pay him a visit."

Before she could leave, Jayden stopped her.

"You said you were the representative cadet of China. I wanna fight you to see how good cadet representatives really are."

In the last tournament, he'd never gotten a chance to battle Cecilia. A fact the blond liked to remind him of when Jayden doubted her skills. And by Gelimer's request, he'd wanted him to practice with his IS unit. Edel Gleam, (or as Jayden preferred to call it, Nova Union.) If the skill level of a representative cadet was truly that high, than at least how could find out how far away he was from reaching that level.

"You want to fight me... In a mock battle?" Rin considered it, than declined.

"Please Rin, I want to see how I measure up to a representative cadet, and I can't do it just by watching them fight. I want to better myself and see if I really do need practice."

He figured if he tested himself against Rin, he could see if he really did need as much practice as Gelimer said he needed. Not to mention if he kept fighting and practicing maybe his IS would finally undergo a first shift.

"If we fought, I'd kick your butt. There's no way you can beat me." Rin said with confidence.

"Then why don't you prove it." Jayden challenged. "Unless your all bark and no bite."

Rin wasn't the kind of girl to back down from a challenge, one of her weaknesses that Ichika tended to point out to her.

"Tough guy huh? You know what, I can see Ichika later. Kicking your butt sounds way more fun. In fact, let's make it interesting."

"Interesting?"

"The loser has to give something to the win. Whatcha got to offer."

Jayden thought about what he owned. He doubted She'd be interested in video games or book about space. But he did know one thing Rin was interested in that he'd learned about her recently.

"If you win. I'll tell you something about Ichika."

"Pfft." Rin waved him away. "I'm Ichika's childhood friend, I practically know everything about him"

She made a good point. Anything Jayden knew about Ichika, Rin probably knew as well. She had known him for years. Then again, she wouldn't know anything about what happened recently.

"Well then what if I tell you about something about Ichika AND Houki. Specifically, the connection those two have."

"Houki?" Rin remembered she was the girl who Ichika said was his first childhood friend. It seemed like they were only friends but Rin had been away from Ichika for a year. And whenever Ichika talked of Houki, he'd been pretty vague about her. Who knows what changes could've happened while she was away? "And what are those two up to?"

Jayden motioned to zip his lips. There was only one way to make him talk

"So be it. I'll kick your butt, then you gotta tell me everything you know about Ichika and Houki's relationship."

"Deal." Jayden agreed. "And what do I get I if I win? Law of exchange dictates you got to ante up something to."

"Fine by me. If by some chance you win, I'll tell you an embarrassing secret of mine." Rin offered. Not that she had any intention of losing. Now she was getting serious, important information was on the line.

"You've got a deal. Let's do this."

Crying out Nova Union's name, Jayden's ring glow and his IS materialized. It appeared in its dark green color scheme with armor around the legs, arms, and torso. Jayden summoned his primary weapon, a buckler shield that he held in his right hand.

Rin summoned her IS without any words as her wristband on her right wrist glowed. It was a pink IS with bulky armor on her limbs. What stood out the most were the two ball shaped things that floated near her shoulders. It was the bulkiest IS Jayden had seen at the Academy.

"That's your IS?"

"Its name is ShenLong. My personal IS unit and the best that China has to offer." Rin said confidently.

"Shenron? I see you're really fond of dragons."

"ShenLong! Not Shenron you idiot. My IS isn't a wish granting dragon." She materialized her weapons, a pair of Chinese scimitars which were named 'Souten Gagestu'. "You're about to find out how deadly I can be!"

"Bring it on." Jayden challenged.

With words done being said, the mock match began.

Rin flew forward, sweeping one scimitar across the side at Jayden forcing him to block with his shield as the scimitar struck it and bounced off. Rin swung again with her other scimitar making Jayden repeat his blocking. From there Rin kept on swinging as Jayden continued to place his shield in the way of her blade and his IS. Rin attacked again. And again. And again. And again!

After Rin's onslaught started to slow down, Jayden shoved his shield ahead to attack trying to bash her.

She sidestepped the blow which sent Jayden staggering forward. Rin than took the chance to attack him from behind, sending him to the ground on his stomach.

First blood had gone to Rin and she had no intention of ending her momentum.

"Hah!"

Jayden rolled out of the way just in time as Rin stabbed her Scimitars to where Jayden was, leaving small cracks in the ground. He quickly got up into a defensive position for Rin's next attack

"It's not a fight if you don't fight back. Why don't you bring out your real weapon?" Rin taunted.

Jayden would if he could, but the problem with only having a shield is that he ONLY had a shield. While it's good for blocking damage, it wasn't as good for dealing it. That left him to get into melee range if he wanted to attack with his shield or a punch. Of course, when your opponent was stronger in melee than you were, that wasn't an option either.

For now, Jayden continued to block Rin's assault until an opening presented itself. Rin's Scimitar struck his shield. One strike became ten, then became twenty, and soon approaching thirty. Jayden grunted as he managed to hold out

"Is hiding behind a shield all you know to do?" Rin swung again and again, beads of sweat started to run down her face.

"It's a legit stragety!" Jayden defended. And said stragety appeared to be working as it looked like Rin was starting to show signs of fatigue. If he kept defending, Rin would have to cease to catch her breath or better yet, make a mistake.

As She struck, Jayden managed to duck instead of block and used the opening to strike Rin's face with his shield, pulling himself back just in time to avoid a counterattack from Rin's other scimitar.

She didn't want to admit, but that hit was due to her opponent getting the better of her. Rin was a power user who relied on the brute strength of her IS, but she wasn't a brainless berserker who believed might was right. It was time to change stragety.

"Take this!"

She feinted a swing leaving Jayden holding out his shield. Rin then swung her scimitar upward, taking Jayden by surprise as she knocked his shield upwards into the air. With it out of the way, Rin struck Jayden in rapid succession with powerful blows. Jayden attempted to dodge and block with his arms which did little good as the blades sliced across the shields of his IS.

He hated to admit but Rin really was that good. She had been able to keep up her aggression so far without any signs of slowing down, and now she'd disarmed him from his only weapon. So, this was the level of a representative cadet.

Rin's assault forced him back just as his shield landed on the ground behind Rin. Any attempt to get past Rin to reclaim his shield was blocked by her and without his main weapon there wasn't anything he could do bare handed. Jayden considered his options as Rin pressed her advantage with her weapons. Her latest hit bringing Jayden down to about 40% of his shield energy.

Ducking out of the way of another, an idea came to his head. There was another weapon he could use. And it was coming right at him.

As she swung, Jayden dodged at the last moment and grabbed one of her scimitars, trying to wrestle it out of Rin's grasp. While the blade cut into him as he grabbed it, dealing minor damage to his shield energy. Getting a weapon was well worth the price.

"What are you doing? Let go" Rin tried to shake him off but he refused to let go.

"You said to get a weapon, so I am."

The two continued their tug of war for the fate of the scimitar.

"Well if you want it that badly…" Rin smirked. "You can have it." She simply let go and Jayden's pulling sent him staggering back till he fell on his butt. Embarrassing as it was, Jayden now had a weapon to use. He didn't know how to use it properly, but it was still a sword-like weapon. You swing it and, it and hurts whatever it hits.

"Now it's a real fight." Jayden tested the weight of the weapon, getting use to it. Once ready he skated at Rin, thinking nothing more that sticking it to Rin. Rin meanwhile stood her ground, preparing to counter with her other scimitar.

Just as he was a bout to swing, the scimitar in his hands dematerialized. Leaving him looking pretty stupid as he swung nothing but thin air at Rin. Rin attacked back with a weapon that didn't dematerialize and sent Jayden back. The same scimitar than rematerialized in Rin's other hand.

"What the? How did you do that?"

"Any experienced pilot can materialize their weapon in an instant. Can't you do the same." Jayden concentrated, taking Rin's advice trying to make his weapon dematerialize and return to him. A fact Rin quickly picked up on and attacked to break his concentration.

Jayden could recall his weapon, but he needed time to concentrate to make it happen, which Rin wasn't going to give him. Forced to retreat, he took to the sky as Rin pursued him.

Jayden checked his remaining shield energy, less than 20% while Rin in the upper 90%, had barley been scratched.

"Dang I knew she was good but this… this is a slaughter. What do I do? Okay, when Ichika's back was against the wall…." Jayden had an idea, he'd probably lose but if this worked, it would well be worth it. He stopped running away and remained floating in the air. In a perplexing move he turned towards Rin extended his arms and legs. Followed by doing nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Jayden floated there in mid air, giving Rin a taunt smile that just screamed 'come and get me.'.

Rin didn't know what he was thinking but if her opponent wanted to give her a free shot, who was she to say no. She looked at the spheres on her IS's shoulders as though considering her options, than changed her mind. Instead resorting to Souten Gangestu. Rin flew above Jayden and dived down at him. While keeping her eyes peeled for anything she readied her blades, holding them to swing in an X shaped swing.

"Hi-yah!"

She dug her blades into Nova Union, the resulting forcing was pushing them. All the while Jayden continued to do nothing as his IS shield energy reached double digits and continued to drop. She pushed him lower and lower until they crashed onto the ground.

A small crater was formed from their impact with Rin on top of Jayden. The shield energy on Jayden's IS had reached zero signaling the mock battle was over.

Jayden eagerly checked the status of his IS to find… it was still the same dark green thin frame he had at the start of the battle. The only difference now was the coating of dust and dirt it had after hitting the ground. In the end, Rin's offense overpowered Jayden's defense.

"Why didn't it work? Why is my IS still in default mode?" He tried to figure out what went wrong, he did everything Ichika had done. Fighting a stronger opponent? Check. Getting hit by a powerful attack when your shield energy was low that should've brought it to zero? Check. Achieving a first shift? No check. What was the difference?

"So, what the heck was that? Did you just give up at the end?" Rin folded her arms, expecting an answer. She dematerialized her IS, which Jayden followed suit.

"It was…. Just something stupid I tried, and it didn't work." Jayden tried to figure what had happened. Ichika went through nearly the same ordeal, facing a stronger enemy and being brought down to low shield energy, triggering a first shift. So why didn't the same occur for Jayden? "Hey Rin, how did you get your IS to undergo a first shift?"

"Oh That? My IS's first shift occurred after a few hours of training once ShenLong finished configuring its settings. Then I obtained full usage of My IS's weaponry and the rest is history."

Which meant Jayden's IS still hadn't finished configuring its settings for him. So, what was taking Nova Union so long?

"Well at least it was a good fight." Jayden said.

"Not really." Rin bluntly said. "All you did was hide behind your shield, then tried a bunch of stupid ideas that backfired. Once your shield was out of the way, I could wail on ya as much as I pleased. Can't your IS do anything else?"

Jayden's silence told Rin he didn't.

"Well whatever, that's your problem. Anyway, as the winner, you have to tell me what's the deal with Ichika and that Houki girl." Rin demanded

"Right… well here's whats going on between Ichika and Houki."

And so, Jayden explained, everything he knew about Ichika and Houki. How they acted, what he knew they did together (which was only kendo), and what their relationship seemed to be. Which according to Jayden was nothing more than really good friends.

"And that's all I know about them." Jayden concluded

"I see. Looks like they aren't as close as I thought." Rin sighed in relief.

"They only thing close about them is their living distance."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"They live in the same room so they're literally close by. Get it?" Jayden joked.

Rin grabbed Jayden and immediately shook him. "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT EARLIER!" She casted Jayden an angry look, pushing him aside as she ran out of the arena. There was no time to waste.

"You're welcome by the way." Jayden dusted himself off and decided to call it a night. At least he could climb into bed and end the day without any more problems.

/-/

Turns out there was one more problem.

"Okay… maybe I left it up here."

Somehow, Jayden had lost his room ID card which he needed to get into his room. Honne was nowhere to be found and he couldn't find a staff member to issue a new room key for him. Jayden's search for his missing key lead him back to the school roof where he ate lunch. And just like before, he wasn't alone on the rooftop.

In the middle of the fake grassy field, a girl was performing strange poses on a mat with her back to the setting sun. She wore a tank top and black pants that clung to her skin quite nicely. The way she moved made Jayden unable to take her eyes off her with the setting sun on her. Still, that dark green haired bob-style haircut and slightly dark skin was a giveaway for who she was.

"Vishnu?"

The girl flinched hearing her named called. Losing her balance, she fell onto butt in a rough landing. They stared at each other, unsure of what to say. Jayden took the initative before she decided to run away again.

"Hi?"

"Are you stalking me!?" Vishnu demanded.

Not the response Jayden was hoping for.

"No, I'm not!"

"So you just happen to keep running into me by chance?"

"Kinda."

Vishnu gave him a doubt look. "Then why are you here?" Her eyes glanced about, as though looking for an escape route.

"Look! I'm not here for you. I'm just here to look for my room key. It may be here so I'm just here to check." Jayden explained.

"That's all?"

Jayden nodded.

She sighed in relief and got off the ground. "Go ahead and look for your key, just don't get too close."

Not that he needed her permission to search a public area but at least she wouldn't run away in terror again. Jayden combed the grassy area for his room key, getting on his hands and knees to search thoroughly. As he looked his sight occasionally wandered back over to Vishnu who was back to doing her slow and weird posing. With the setting sun on her, she looked quite exotic as did what appeared to be stretching.

The silence was getting awkward so Jayden tried making small talk.

"Nice weather were having huh?"

"It is."

"And the class representative battles are coming up. You excited?"

"Somewhat." Vishnu gave a quick glance and returned to her business.

"You liking campus life so far?"

"Yes."

Talking with Vishnu felt like a one-man conservation, and his search hadn't found anything yet.

"Look. I'm sorry if I freaked you out back on the mainland."

Vishnu recalled what he did in that alley way and his comments about her. Her cheeks went a light crimson. "It's fine."

"Is that why you run away from me? I'm sorry. I said something stupid and I shouldn't have said it."

"It isn't." Vishnu answered. "I'm not good with people."

"Why's that?"

Vishnu remained silent, preferring not to answer as she bent over to touch her toes. Unknowingly giving the boy a great view of a certain asset of hers. As much as Jayden wanted look, he turned away before he repeated his mistake.

Talking with Vishnu felt sort of like talking with a brick wall. Her conservation was limited to as few words as needed and now, he was feeling bad for making her uncomfortable. Jayden looked as she now stretched her arms out while raising one leg up, leaving herself balancing on a single leg. It was kind of amazing seeing her support herself like that.

"What'cha up to with all those poses?

"Yoga." She answered though not as nervously this time.

"Ah… Do you like it?" He'd heard about it but never looked into yoga.

"I enjoy it..." Vishnu glanced at Jayden before returning to eyeing the sea.

"Well it looks pretty good… The poses! I mean the poses not you… I mean you do look good but… uhhh. I'm sorry." Jayden groaned. It didn't look like his ID was here so it was time to check somewhere else before his mouth betrayed him

"Hold it." Vishnu stopped him before he could leave. "Why did you do it?"

"You looked great in that pose and with the sun on you-"

"Not that!" Vishnu paused, though her cheeks were changing color. Although that could've just been the sun. "When I was in trouble, you came to help me. With those guys hitting one me and when I was choking. What were you after? That's the one thing I can't figure out."

Jayden recalled the event. His heroics and his embarrassments came flooding back to him.

"I thought you were doing it to try to ask me out but no one who was that brave could mess it up that badly."

Vishnu dealt an unintentional blow to Jayden's pride.

"So, what were you after? Money? Favors?"

Jayden considered his answers, lying sounded good to get away before he somehow made everything worse. Then again lying was never his strong suit. Honesty was a different story.

"You looked like you needed help. When I saw you were in trouble and no one was doing anything, I just… wanted to make sure you'd be okay."

"I could've handled those guys if I needed to."

"And I'm sure you could've… I just didn't want to see you hurt."

Vishnu paused, holding her current position. She wasn't sure how to respond to that, no one had ever said it to her before. "And if I was in trouble, would you do it again?"

"Of course."

Jayden answered with no hesitation.

"I see…" Vishnu took a deep breath and stood up straight. "Thank you…"

Jayden felt a little better now, at least she didn't seem to think he was a creep anymore. It was a small victory but a victory none the less.

Vishnu checked the sun, it was almost completely set. It was a good time to call it day. She picked up her mat and began to fold it, stopping when she noticed something on the grass where her mat was laid. A small white card that had the face of the guy she was talking to on it.

"Um…. Excuse me. Is this yours?" She neverously approached him and sheepishly held out a card to Jayden.

"My ID card!"

"It was under my mat." Vishnu blushed. "I didn't look where I was putting my it. I'm sorry." She bowed in apology.

"No worries, I'm just happy to have it back. I was looking for that all night." Jayden took back the card and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Vishnu called out. "Um… I often do Yoga here around this time. If you want, I can teach you a few poses. If you'd like." She eyed the ground as she spoke.

Jayden tilted his head. Was she asking him to come back later?

"Sure, I'll come back sometime."

A small smile appeared on Vishnu's face. "Have a good night Jayden."

"Good night Vishnu." Now that Vishnu couldn't see his face, his lips turned to a huge grin. Finally, something had gone right today.

/-/

A peaceful night didn't seem possible tonight for Ichika Orimura. Specially when you first and second childhood friends got together.

"And that is why, we need to change rooms." Rin finished her appeal, clapping her hands together to show her sincerity. "So what do you say?"

One-minute Houki and Ichika were relaxing in their room together and the next Rin had knocked on the door, barged in, and demanded that a room swap between herself and Houki occur. Needless to say, Houki took to the idea like a cat takes to bathes.

"Are you out of your mind? Why should I do that?"

"You must be bothered by having to share a room with a guy every night, and you can't relax with him around. Since I'm not fussy about that, and out of the goodness of my heart. I'm offering you the chance to change rooms. Pretty good deal huh?"

Houki wanted to spit at Rin's _deal_, but she managed to hold back.

"I never said any of that, and whatever issues we have is between me and Ichika. So, don't butt in."

"What? Are you telling me you're fine with staying in the same room as Ichika?"

Houki wanted to answer but was she felt too embarrassed to do so. Especially with Ichika right there listening to everything.

Ichika watched from his bed as the two girls argued. Knowing both of them so well he expected something like this to happen. Rin was the kind of person who did what she wanted and always did things her way. Houki on the other hand stuck to her opinion and was quite stubborn about her things. The term '_unstoppable force vs immovable object'_ perfectly applied here.

"So, Rin, is that all your things." Ichika noted the small travel bag Rin had. She was serious about moving in.

"That's right. As long as I have this baby with me, I'm ready to go." Rin patted the top of her bag.

"I'm not moving out." Houki glared dagger at Rin.

"That's fine then. If you won't move out than I'll just move in. There's just enough space for three people."

"What!? No, get out! This is my room!" Houki said.

"But this is Ichika's room to. You guys are okay living together because your childhood friends. And I'm his childhood friend so it shouldn't be a problem."

This shouldn't have been happening.

And yet, it was.

"No one is changing rooms, so go back to your own!" She was on the verge of reaching her breaking point. More importantly though, why was Ichika not doing anything!?

Any look Houki gave Ichika made him look somewhere else.

"Say Ichika. Do you still remember our promise?" Rin changed the topic.

"Our promise?" Ichika tried to recall. "Do you mean the one we made back in middle school?"

Being ignored had caused Houki to reach her breaking point.

"ICHIKA! DON'T YOU DARE IGNORE ME!"

Houki grabbed her wooden Practice sword from the corner of the room, aiming to strike Ichika.

"Wait wait wait!" Ichika panicked while Rin's wristband on her right arm glowed.

**CLANG!**

The sound of wood hitting metal rang in everyone's ears. Rin held out her arm to intercept Houki's swing.

"Rin, are you all right?" Ichika was amazed that Rin had been able to summon part of her IS in such a short amount of time. Considering that Ichika himself had to concentrate before summoning his own IS. She wasn't a representative cadet for nothing.

"This is no biggie. I'm a representative cadet after all." Rin said confidently. She then turned to address Houki. "Listen here. A normal person could've been seriously injured by that attack. That sord of yours would've given Ichika at least a fracture. And you call yourself his childhood friend."

Houki dropped her sword. The way she swung; she was so angry that she was trying to actually hurt Ichika. If she had made contact, Ichika would've been crying in pain right now. She had to admit she was still immature, especially when It came to Ichika.

An apology was all Houki could muster.

She sat on the bed, too ashamed to continue speaking or argue with Rin now.

The Chinese girl shrugged her shoulder. "Oh well. What's done is done." Rin dematerialized her arm, and flipped her hair over her shoulder. Now that she was out of the way, she could with Ichika.

"Um Rin, about that promise you were talking about." Ichika said.

"Yeah. You still remember it… right?" Rin's cheeks heated up.

"Oh that. The one where if you get better at cooking than you'll…"

Rin's face beamed. "Yes! That's the one."

"Always be treating me to sweet-and-sour pork everyday right" Ichika finished.

…

…

...

"What?"

"We promised that once you get better at cooking, you'll be making me food right?"

_**SMACK**_

Rin didn't know what compelled her to do that, but she had struck Ichika with the palm of her hand. She looked down at it, now it was slightly red from her impact. Teardrops started to fall, staining her palm.

"…Rin?"

"You're the worst!" She couldn't raise her face at Ichika. "How could you forget the promise?"

"What are you talking about. I just told you what it was."

"I can't believe you can't remember what you promised a girl! How can you even call yourself a man you insensitive jerk?! Pathetic Dimwit!? I hope a dog bites you to death." Her face looked to be a mix of anger and betrayal as tears rode down her cheeks.

She grabbed her travel bag and ran off, slamming the door behind her.

Ichika stood there. Feeling the area where Rin struck leaving a red handprint behind. It stung when he touched it. He couldn't understand why Rin was so angry.

"Ichika." Houki said, having seen and heard everything.

"Y-yes Houki?"

Houki glared at Ichika. Despite her earlier mishap, what Ichika did to Rin wasn't right either.

"You really should get kicked by a horse and die."

/-/

The following day, class 1-1 was gathered around the board in their homeroom. The pairings for the class representative tournament had just been announced. Some students looked with excitement at the matches in the inter class tournament. For those who had to fight in though, it was another story.

Ichika sweated as he saw the names on the match-up list. It seemed as though even the god were out to get him.

**Ichika Orimura vs Lingyin Huang**

**Velvet Hell vs Kanzashi Sarashiki**

To Ichika, last night was a storm. However, this was a typhoon approaching the near horizon.

**Next chapter we begin the inter class tournament, The one throughout the classes. Now that I think about it, the school has a lot of tournaments. Even with the quarantine, I still find myself pressed for time helping family and working on other projects. Leave a fav or review if you enjoyed the story.**

**You archtype breaker fans may notice another cameo besides Vishnu, and yes she will be in the story.**

**Keep your sense of wonder and see you next time.**

/-/

**Omake**

Shenlong crashed to the ground as its shield energy dropped to zero. The unit refused to move without shield energy, laying there motionless against Rin's wishes. She was force to admit one thing.

Somehow, either by miracle or witchcraft, Jayden had defeated her.

"How the hell did I lose?" Rin deactivated her IS, groaning into the dirt. A Representative cadet had been defeated by an inexperienced newbie. With an IS still in its default setting! Oh god if her superiors found out, she'd lose her position for sure

"I won? I can't believe it. I won!" Jayden grinned. "Maybe I should be a cadet representative if this is the bar for the level.

Rin groaned even louder into the Earth.

"And as the winner, you have owe me one embarrassing secret."

Rin froze. That was a thing she had promised. Especially cause she never saw herself losing. "Wouldn't you rather have a delicious tasty dinner instead of some dumb secret. I can cook a real mean sweet and sour pork you know."

Jayden licked his lips. "Tempting… but I'd rather hear some juicy gossip."

Rin grinded her teeth. She made a promise and now she had to keep her word. She lifted him up a few inches by the collar of his IS suit. "If you tell anyone about what I'm about to tell you, no IS in the world will keep you safe from me. Got it?"

Jayden nodded.

Rin pulled him close enough that he could feel her lips on his ear. After making sure no one was here but them, she whispered into his ear secrets that would make anyone die of embarrassment if it ever reached the ears of the public. By the time she was done, Rin's face was the color of a tomato and Jayden's mouth was wide open

"Wait, they took photos of you in-"

Rin shoved her hand over Jayden's mouth.

"Never. Speak. Of. This. Again." Rin reminded

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone Rin." Jayden promised.

/-/

"JAYDEN YOU LIAR!"

"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!"

All around room 1-1 before homeroom, Rin chased Jayden trying to get her hands on him. The two looked to be playing a game of keep away. The rules were that Jayden had to keep away from Rin or else he'd die.

"What are you doing Rin?" Ichika asked, his eyes following along as Rin chased down Jayden.

"This idiot broke a promise." Rin pointed. "And I'm gonna show him what happens what you break your word with me." She reached out to grab Jayden shirt but just missed.

"Okay I admit did tell someone, but it was only one person! And she forced me to tell her!"

"That's one person to many!"

Rin jumped onto him, sending Jayden to the ground with Rin on top. She held him down in a wrestling position sitting on him where she was twisting one of his arms behind his back.

"And just who did you tell?" Rin started twisting his arm further.

Jayden pointed with his free hand. Everyone followed his gaze onto Honne who gave a cheerful wave back with an arm covered by a sleeve too long for her.

That was the girl who Jayden claimed made him spill the beans…

Rin twisted his arm even harder.

"I'm serious! No one can say no to her puppy dog eyes."

Jayden pleaded for her to let go, tapping his hands on the ground.

"It's true." Honne admitted. "Jaydee told me all about you fought, and that he beat you. And the embarrassing thing you told him."

Rin glared eyes of fire at Jayden.

"Curiosity got the best of me and I spent all night doing research on Ling-Ling's embarrassing moment. Eventually my efforts paid off and I found something special." Honne reached into her pocket and pulled out her smart phone. "I was able to find some special photos on a special company's website."

Rin froze. She couldn't have found those photos…

"Take a look!" Honne passed her phone around to the class. The students gathered around to look at the screen.

On the screen were pictures of kids who seemed old enough to be in daycare that looked to be part of a photoshoot for some Chinese business. It was the kind of photo you'd want to use on a pamphlet or promotional leaflet. The big issue though was the one person who looked big enough to be in their teens wearing a big black and white fluffy panda costume. It looked fluffy with the upper head being a hood complete with panda ears on top of the head. And in that costume was Rin!

"No way!"

"Awwww!"

"So cute!"

"That's a good look on your Ms. Huang."

Honne scrolled across the photos showed Rin making a bunch of faces and poses with kids. She looked a little goofy in that outfit the photos with those kids were heartwarming and adorable.

"It looks like Rin did some modeling work as an IS pilot." Cecilia pointed out. "Some companies will use their pilots as models to gain attention and revenue in the process. Still to put you in this outfit… What was your company thinking?"

"It wasn't their fault it was mine!" Rin defended. "The place I went to had two photoshoots that day and I went to the wrong one. So, I made a little mistake. Sue me." Rin's face was going red, now everyone was seeing the pictures. Jaydne used the opportunity to get out form under Rin, who was too busy wishing she was dead to care.

"Even so, these aren't that bad. I don't get why you were so distraught us seeing these." Ichika said.

While she looked a little goofy in that panda suit, it wasn't embarrassing enough to reach the status of, 'my life is over.'.

Rin than realized she had a chance to spin this. It didn't seem like _those_ photos were there.

"Yup. You got me, I dressed up in a stupid panda costume." Rin laughed nervously. "That's all there is to it. Pretty stupid huh?" They were embarrassing but at least that was all they were. As long as it wasn't _those_ photos.

"And that's only the first half." Honne said.

"First half..."

Rin's hope level dropped to dangerous amounts. They couldn't be…

Honne tapped a hidden picture link and was taken to a new set of photos. Faces started to turn red seeing the images on screen. The looks confirmed it was _those _pictures.

Now there were photos of Rin chasing one of the boys with a look of rage. There were enough photos to make it look like a low frame low budget animation. There was just one important detail a viewer would be drawn to.

The costume's back zipper was open revealing Rin's butt to the camera.

Every photo had Rin looking like she was about to commit murder, or her rear was facing the camera. Which was worse? That would be up to the viewer.

"That's a huge wardrobe malfunction."

"I didn't know she hated kids so much."

"How indecent."

"Cute butt Lingyin."

Both guys faces were going red as the girls scrolled through picture after picture. Each one showcasing Rin's ass in some embarrassing form or a photo someone would use on a wanted poster. Classmates gathered around for a peek at Rin's modeling mishap.

"AGHHHHH! STOP LOOKING!" Rin started rolling in pain and embarrassment.

She recalled the event like a haunted memory. One little brat decided to get cheeky and pulled the zipper down. She didn't realize for five minutes and when she did figure it out, she was too angry to think straight and tried to thrash the brat instead of fixing herself. Not that she could've anyway. The costume was so big that she couldn't zip it back up on her own. All those photos taken with her ass on display.

Rin's strength and her reputation was fading away.

While everyone was looking at the photos, Ichika knelt over at Rin's side. "It's okay Rin, everyone has had an embarrassing moment at some point in their lives. Something else is gonna happen and it'll be nothing more than an afterthought." Ichika placed a hand on his second childhood friend's shoulder. He gave a comforting smile to help his fallen friend.

"Ichika…"

Rin felt her heartbeat sky rocket, ever since 5th grade she could always count on Ichika. He was always there for her. He'd helped her with bullies from elementary school and now comforting her in her darkest hour. He…. He….

He had just seen photos of her butt.

…

…

…

…

…

Rin collapsed to the floor as mini pandas circled around her head like stars. Now this was the new most embarrassing day of her life.

**Welcome to IS Academy Ms. Panda. I mean Rin.**


	9. The Class League Match Part 1

**Life goes on with the world as it is currently. On the plus side, it does give me more time to write. Remember to stay safe out there. Now then, here's chapter nine. **

The class representative tournament was only one week away. With only a short time before the fated day, the pilots competing had to make every moment count. Those not competing went on as usual with their studies and betting who would win in each division.

Ever since that night with Rin and the promise that Ichika didn't remember, Rin in a sour mood. And it hadn't improved since. Somehow, it managed to get even worse. She never approached Ichika, and she'd always turn her head whenever she passed by him in the halls. Her mouth was a frown just thinking or being near him.

Throughout the week, Ichika practiced with his friends to help him prepare.

Houki practiced sword and kendo technique with him when she could rent a training unit.

Cecilia helped him get use to the controls of his Byakushiki and practice evasive maneuvers by evading fire of her Blue tears and starlight rifle.

Jayden told Ichika everything he knew about Rin's IS from the battle he had with her and having mock battles to help Ichika against physical opponents.

After all the help and training his friends gave him, Ichika was feeling confident about his upcoming battle. Confident enough that he wouldn't KO himself at least.

And now there was only one day remaining until the interclass tournament. Cecilia called everyone together for a meeting. Well… more like she called Ichika. Jayden and Houki heard about it and invited themselves over.

"So where are we and what are we doing here?" Ichika looked at the tall building in front of them.

"This is the IS maintenance lab." Cecilia answered. Through some effort, she was able to reserve a scheduled time to use the maintenance lab. "We'll be looking over your Byakushiki to make sure there aren't any issues with it, such as loose parts or internal damage. Think of it as a check-up on your IS so you don't run into any problems tomorrow Ichika-san."

"But can't an IS just fix itself?" Jayden asked. Normally an IS could repair damage over time like restoring shield energy.

"It can but if there's a major problem or a malfunction, it may not be repaired until it causes problems. Better to check and fix them now." Cecilia answered.

"That'll be good, all this time I've been letting Byakushiki repair itself." Ichika checked out the Byakushiki bracelet on his wrist. He was smart enough to know he was currently too stupid to make any repairs on his own without messing something else up. "Thanks Cecilia, I'll be counting on you."

"You should be taking care of your IS Ichika. It's disgraceful to always rely on someone else" Houki interrupted, she was looking angry.

Angrier than usual that is. Houki held open the door for everyone. "Now let's get moving."

Cecilia lead the group to the reserved spot, explaining the functions and purpose of the maintenance building. The building was empty as students had finished classes for the day. The inside of the building itself seemed high tech with large platforms in the center of each area, most likely where the IS was to be placed on and computers for the maintenance team to work.

"Why are you doing this much to help Cecilia?" Jayden asked as he walked alongside Ichika. "First you hated him, and now you're going so out of your way to help him. Don't tell me you actually like Ichika now?"

Cecilia's face burned. "O-Of course not!" She composed herself, pretending the last three seconds never happened. "Don't you know? The enemy of my enemy is my friend. And I want to make sure our class wins the tournament. It's only natural that the elite help those in need." She puffed out her chest like always when she felt above everyone.

"Thank you for doing this Cecilia, this will be a huge help tomorrow." And thank you for everything you've done." Ichika thanked.

"Well of course I would do it." Cecilia's face was beaming. "Only someone such as I would be up to the task."

Jayden coughed loudly into his sleeve.

"Oh! And you guys to. Houki. Jayden. Thank you."

Shortly, they arrived at the reserved area.

Cecilia went over to the computers to set up. Once ready, Cecilia ordered Ichika deployed his Byakushiki in the designated spot and exit the machine.

There, the white IS stood in all its glory, giving the resemblance of a white knight. Jayden and Houki were tasked with attaching wires and having the IS hooked up to the machines.

"Okay everything's in place. I'll begin with a diagnostics test and move on from there. I'd ask if any of you'd like to help with this but you're all beginners and…"

Houki rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, we get it."

The rest of the time was Cecilia performing maintenance work on the IS through the computer, leaving everyone else to sit and wait. After some time, Cecilia did a final check over on the Byakushiki's systems.

"And that's that. Your IS had no problems but it was good we checked. You're all good for tomorrow. By the way Ichika-san. Have you considered adding some firearms to your weaponry? It will give you an edge in your battle tomorrow." Cecilia proposed. Against a melee type like Rin, having a range advantage was a big asset in the fight.

"Adding weapons?" Ichika had never considered the idea. He'd only ever used Yukihara Nigata up till now.

"Yes, by filling in the bus-slots." Ichika looked and acted like he had no idea what she was talking about. The blond brit raised an eyebrow. "You do know what bus-slots are don't you? Anyone?"

The looks on their faces ranged from confusion to 'what the heck are you talking about?'. Cecilia sighed; it would be up to her to explain.

"Every IS comes equipped with a main preset weapon that can't be changed. Think of them as the IS's signature weapon. For example. Ichika-san's Yukihara Nigata."

"Or Jayden's shield and your sniper rifle." Houki pointed out.

"Yes, but you're wrong about my weapon. Blue Tears preset weapon are the drones I use, which are called 'Blue Tears'. Yes, they're the same name as my IS, but it works in context." She continued before anyone asked about the confusing naming conventions.

"Additional weapons on your Infinite Stratos units are referred to as equalizers. They're used to balance out the fighting power of your IS. Such as a ranged weapon when your preset is melee and vice versa."

"So you're sniper rifle-"

"Is one of my equalizers." Cecilia finished for her. "In order to equip an equalizer, your IS must have a bus slot to store the weapon. Stored weapons are linked to the IS, allowing them to be used with the IS's network systems and give you statue updates on them. Both preset and equalizers can be materialized and dematerialized if the pilot commands it. "

Jayden recalled when Rin had made her scimitars appear and disappear. This explained how she was able to play magician with her scimitars.

Cecilia went on with her explanation. "In the past, the specs of the machine determined how many bus-slots were available. But nowadays every IS can equip at least two additional weapons."

"So, I can use additional weapons besides my sword. And I need bus slots to use equalizers." Ichika summarized. "How many of those slots do I have?"

"Let's find out." Cecilia typed on the computer, bringing up data on Ichika's IS as she moved through some files. Then Cecilia stared at the screen, had a look of disbelief, and then typed again. When Cecilia didn't answer everyone crowded around to see the results.

"W-What?"

"How is this possible?"

"Maybe it's a mistake? Check it again."

"Every time I check, it's the same result."

According to the screen, the number of bus-slots the Byakushiki was zero.

Zip.

Zilch.

Nada.

Less than one.

The gang tried to wrap their heads around this. Byakushiki was a third generation IS and yet it had no slots for equalizers. How could an IS be designed this way?

"Can't he just carry some extra weapons by hand into the match." Jayden asked.

Cecilia shook her head. "IS tournament rules forbid any tools or weapons not linked to the IS from being used."

So much for that idea.

"So Ichika can only use Yukihara Nigata." Houki was worried, sure that weapon was enough for his last battle. But would it be enough for this one?

"I guess it would be better to stick with what I know." Ichika said. As nice as extra firepower would've been, I wouldn't have been much help anyway. Even if he had any guns, lances, axes, etc. It wouldn't do him any favors if he wasn't properly trained in using them.

"I knew I'd… find you here… Ichika!"

Everyone turned to see Rin leaning against a wall panting heavily. Rin breathed like she'd just ran a marathon.

Ichika didn't expect to see Rin, nor hear she was looking for him. "Rin? Did you run all across campus looking for us?"

"NO! I mean… I just knew you'd be here. Anyway, I'm here to talk to you Ichika." The desperation in Rin's tone confused him but Ichika ignored it.

Unfortunately for her however, Ichika's friends didn't ignore her.

"You're not involved here so go away. This place is off-limits for those not involved." Cecilia argued.

"But I am involved, with Ichika that is. So, I'm all clear." Rin simply said. Naturally, everyone else argued for her to get out and leave them be. "Look, this is between me and Ichika. Can you non-important people stay out of this? Thank you!"

"Non-important! Why don't you say that to… hey get back here!"

Rin ignored the peanut galleries comments, pulling Ichika to a corner of the room to talk.

"Let's hear it." Rin folded her arms.

"Hear what?"

"Your apology! You're supposed to say that you're sorry for making me mad and avoiding me all week."

"But weren't you the one avoiding me?" Ichika pointed out.

"Well you should know better. Are you really going to leave a girl by herself if she askes you to leave her alone?"

"Of course." Ichika plainly answered.

Silence remained between the two of them.

Say what you wanted about Ichika, but he no idea how a maiden's heart functioned. The girls sweat dropped at how clueless he was.

Rin growled. "You're idiocy aside, apologize right now for the promise you forgot."

"What are you talking about? I remembered the promise that you'd cook for me."

"You got that part right, but you didn't get the meaning! Do you even want to apologize?" Rin pointed a finger at him.

"I'll apologize when you tell me what I did wrong."

"And I'm here cause I don't want to do that." Rin pulled on her twin tails hair in frustration. She was getting nowhere fast. "Forget it! How about this: In the interclass tournament tomorrow, the loser will have to do whatever the winner tells them."

Ichika smiled, this would be much better to settle the issue. "Fine by me. and If I win, I'm gonna make you tell me all about it."

"T-Tell you…" Only now did Rin realize what her bet meant. If she lost than she'd have to tell him… She shifted around nervously as her face started to heat up.

"You can back off if you want to."

"Like hell I would!" Rin roared. She never backed down and never surrendered. She just had to win and everything would be fine. "You better start practicing your apologies right now you big oaf! You insensitive blockhead!"

Ichika was getting tired of this. "Oh, shut up you washboard!"

Ichika's hand didn't cover his mouth fast enough. He knew a lot about Rin. You could insult her cooking or her heritage but there was one part of her you never brought up if you liked living.

"You said it…" Rin hissed under her breath.

"Woah! Wait! I'm sorry! That one really was my fault! I'm really sorry"

Ichika barley had enough time to jump out of the way as a partially deployed Rin struct her IS coated arm right where he was. The floor shook from Rin's impact. A small dent was left on the metal alloy floor where she struck.

"Just that one? It was always your damn fault." If looks could kill, Rin would be on trial. "I was thinking of going easy on you, but since it seems you want to die. I'll happily grant your wish. I'm gonna hit you with everything I have."

Rin called back her IS and turned to leave.

"You know. A normal person would've been seriously injured by that attack." Houki reminded Rin.

Rin's teeth clenched together. Her own words used against her. Didn't that girl understand what she was going through? Damn it she was too angry to think straight.

Rin gave Ichika a sharp glare before slamming the door shut. Everything went quiet now that she as gone. Ichika didn't know what to say now but his friends sure did.

"Ichika-san, you shouldn't be talking to a woman like that. Maybe you should take lessons on how to handle a woman's heart."

"You were so tactless back there Ichika. "

"Word of advice man, women don't like comments about their body. Trust me, I've tried."

Ichika shrunk back as everyone scolded him. Still, they did have a point. No matter what the outcome of the fight was now, Ichika would be apologizing to Rin.

/-/

The rooftops of the school were vacant except for one person.

As per usual, Vishnu was partaking in her sunset yoga hour. No one usually came up to the rooftops at that time of day making it perfect to exercise in private. She held her handstand as the sun was about to disappear over the horizon. The view looked like a piece of art that jumped from the painting into her view. This was the peace and quiet she lived for.

"Hi Vishnu."

"Gyah!"

_THUD_

Much like a Jenga tower after 15 rounds, Vishnu's handstand collapsed. The exotic looking girl ended up face planting onto her mat with the rest of her body following.

Jayden winced as he crouched down beside the facedown Vishnu.

Whenever he came up here, Vishnu was usually here doing yoga and she was always caught off guard when she realized Jayden or someone else was here, it always lead to Vishnu kissing the ground.

"How are you still not use to me? You're the easiest person to spook I've ever met." Halloween must have been a nightmare for this girl.

Vishnu was unable to look him in the eyes. "I'm sorry…"

"It's fine." Jayden waved his hand aside. "I should be saying sorry. And sorry again for coming late. I was held up helping Ichika with his IS for the interclass tournament tomorrow. Funny thing happened to. You remember Lingyin right, I've told you about her…"

The two sat a few feet away from each other as Vishnu tended to get nervous if he got too close. Their conservations usually went on like this with Jayden doing the majority of the talking and Vishnu commenting or responding. Like Jayden pointing out some constellations at night when the stars were visible or telling her of his latest attempt to get his IS to go through a first shift. Vishnu would occasionally nod or response, and it seemed like every day she answered more frequently. She didn't talk much but she was an amazing listener.

"So in the end, Lingyin was pretty pissed and stormed off. I swear she's gonna rip Ichika in half if she gets the chance."

Vishnu blinked at him. "He really did that to her?"

"I…. guess so. I'm not sure on the whole story but she seemed to hate him cause he broke a promise or something from long ago." Jayden tried to piece together as much as he could.

"Then, he deserves whatever she does to him." Vishnu words sounded uncharacteristically full of malice. Was it girl code to punish promise breakers?

"Right… anyway did you have plans for watching the fight? Me and my friends got permission to watch in the IS control room. You're free to come if you want."

Vishnu considered the proposal. "How many people will be there?"

"Me, Houki." Jayden sighed. "Cecilia… And the teachers who man the room during IS fights."

"Thank you but I have to decline." Vishnu shuffled nervously. "I'll watch from an outside screen in the school park. Since everyone's watching from the stands, I don't think anyone will be there."

Once again Vishnu had declined a social outing.

"You really like being alone, don't you?"

"I know it's not good. I'm sorry..."

"There's nothing wrong with it. Is it nice spending time with yourself?"

Vishnu fiddled with her bracelet. "I just find it easier to be on my own. I'm not good with people."

"You seem good with me." Good was kind of an overstatement. But she was much better with Jayden than she was with other people.

"I can handle a few people at time… But I'm not good in large groups. Or with people watching me." She scratched her arm and folded her legs. "C-Can we talk about something else?"

Jayden tried to think of a different topic. Preferably something that didn't involve too many people.

"Do you have any hobbies? Besides yoga I mean."

Jayden had told her a lot about himself, but he didn't know anything about her. Well, besides the fact she loved to do yoga.

Vishnu mumbled something inaudible. Her hands started to fidget nervously.

"What?"

Vishnu mumbled louder, still not enough to be heard.

"I can't hear you."

"I DO ARCHERY!" She shrunk back realizing what she yelled, spitting out a soft apology.

"Archery? Like bows and arrows? That's awesome. I didn't know you did that."

"It's another hobby of mine. I'm part of the archery club."

Vishnu reached over for her bag and pulled out what looked to be a glove guard for holding the string of a bow. It had a light orange color scheme to it with bits of red and yellow. She put it on, and it fit like a glove.

"I didn't even know we had an archery club."

"The school has lots of clubs. Ghost club. People Watching. Alpha Male club. Humans vs. Zombies."

Wait… why did one of those sound weirder than the others? Eh, it was probably nothing.

"Are you good at archery?"

Vishnu fiddled with her safety guard glove. "I'm… okay at it."

"Maybe someday I can see you in action."

"…"

Vishnu didn't reply, continuing to fiddle with the glove as her eyes shifted uncomfortably.

"Hey Vishnu. I've been meaning to ask. Who's representing your class in the tournament tomorrow? Just curious."

"Well… I never personally talked with her so everything I know is based off what I heard." Vishnu explained, remembering everything she knew about her class rep. "Her name is Velvet Hell and she's a representative candidate of Greece."

"Don't you mean representative cadet?"

"No. A representative candidate is one who has been selected as a potential representative by the government. They're kept in case something happens to the cadet of their country or if they can prove they would be a better person to represent their country."

"But doesn't your class have like, a bunch of cadet representatives?"

Vishnu flinched. Staring at Jayden. "Do you know them?"

"Not really. I've been meaning to find out who they are, but I've been to busy. Helping friends and IS training. You get what I mean."

Vishnu breathed in relief.

"So, if she's a candidate that means she doesn't have an IS. And yey she managed to be your class rep even without an IS unit?"

Vishnu nodded. "We didn't choose our rep by combat like your class did. We chose by election and she gathered more votes than anyone."

"Man, she must be really impressive for a girl her age."

"She's 17." Vishnu pointed out.

"Ah. That makes sense."

Wait. No, it didn't. She was how old?

"Wait. She's not only your class rep. But she's 17 and a first year?" Normally first year students were 15. Than again a thirteen-year-old really shouldn't be criticizing a seventeen-year-old about being in the wrong grade for their age. "How is she that old and a first year?"

"Yoho!"

Before Vishnu could answer. A voice called out in a sing-song manner, making Vishnu almost jump in shock. Jayden recognized that tone of voice.

Coming up from the rooftop was Honne and her friends Yuzu and Sayuka. All dressed in their IS school uniforms, and like always. Honne's sleeves were extremely long.

"Hey Honne, Yuzu, Sayuka, What'cha guys doing?"

"We heard you were up on the rooftops. The thing is, There's a betting ring for meal tickets and desserts on who's gonna win each division tomorrow. We're in charge of the first years." Yuzu pulled out a paper from her pocket with student's names, who they wanted to win, and what their ante was. "The ante are dessert and meal tickets."

"I'm choosing Ichika."

"I'm picking Ichika to."

"Me three!"

"And I want him to win to."

The four of them shared a laugh. If this kept up, it wouldn't even be a bet.

"Hey Vishnu, you wanna join in? Uh…. What are you doing?"

In what looked like a desperate attempt to hide herself. Vishnu had crouched into a ball and placed her yoga mat over her body. It looked like she was trying to hide herself… but there was major emphasis on _trying_.

"Is this your friend Jayden?" Sayuka asked. The three girls surrounded Vishnu for a better look at her as said girl tried to make herself as small as possible in hopes it would make herself disappear.

"This is my friend Vishnu; we hang out on the roof a lot." Jayden introduced.

Honne hummed and stroked her chin. She quickly circled around her, inspecting every part of her. "There's something about you… that I like! Nice to meet you. Any friend of Jaydee's is a friend of mine." Honne held out a hand covered sleeve to shake.

Vishnu breathing beganto speed up. She grabbed a small bit of Honne's sleeve and shook it.

After that, Honne's friends crowded around her, eager to make introductions.

"My name is Sayuka, and this is Yuzu. It's a pleasure to meet you." They greeted.

"Y-yeah… I'm Vishnu Isa Galaxy. Hello…"

"You're hair looks really good. Green is a nice color on you."

Vishnu paled. "Um…. T-Thank you…" she stammered. Was she doing this right?

"What were you guys doing up on the roof? Something secret or naughty?"

"No…." Vishnu's cheeks started to turn pink. "It wasn't like that." That sounded like a fair answer to her.

The questions and comments kept coming with no sign of stopping. Vishnu's breathing rate increased as she closed her eyes and covered her ears. She wanted to them to stop or herself to vanish. Anything that would make this stop.

Jayden watched from the side as the girls continued to ask her questions and talk. All the while Vishnu's looked to be in some sort of pain. Jayden recognized that look on her face. It was the same look when everyone checked on her after she choked on her lunch. "Guys, maybe we should give her some space?"

They continued, too interested in Vishnu to hear him. The comments and questions continued. Vishnu quivered until like a dam, her emotions overflowed.

Screaming at the top of her lungs, Vishnu threw away her yoga mat, grabbed her stuff, and bolted out the door back inside before anyone could get a word in. By the time they called out to her, she was long gone.

"Did…. Did we do something wrong." Honne looked down at the fake grass, now feeling guilty for her actions. Her friends soon followed suit.

"No… well, kind of. You didn't know so it's not your fault." Jayden tried to explain, not that he knew much more than they did. "Vishnu just has difficulty with a lot of people at once."

"We didn't know. Let's go apologize to her." Honne suggested.

"But won't she run away if we go up to her?" Yuzu pointed out.

"Don't worry. I'm sure she'll be okay." Jayden hoped. He was sure she'd come back here another day to do her yoga. "Once she's calmed down, I'm sure you guys can talk again. Lets just give her some space. Now than, was there a limit to how much we can bet?"

/-/

"Coward… I'm such a coward."

Vishnu was making her way back to her room. She walked as though her tail was between her legs...if she had one.

"I couldn't even keep calm with four people. And I just ran away without saying anything I'm such a failure." Every time people paid attention to her; she'd always run away. It was a miracle she could stay through class each day. Although being in the back in a corner defiantly helped avoid attention. It helped keeping everyone's eyes off her.

She didn't hate people. She just… wasn't good with them.

Only after multiple meetings with Jayden allowed her to somewhat become use to the boy.

He was… trying to be her friend, right? He knew her class had some cadet representatives but didn't know who they were. Vishnu looked at her archery safety glove. Did he really not know or was it an act? Oh man… She shook it out of her head. That didn't matter now.

What did matter were those girls. They looked to be Jayden's friends. And she just ran away screaming like a lunatic. Vishnu groaned back into her hands.

The way they looked at her, they acted friendly to her and they looked nice. Heck they even seemed like they wanted to be friends. Did they think bad of her for what she just did? Was she a freak in their eyes now? Was she overthinking this? Vishnu buried her head in her hands.

"Dang it Vishnu. This why you shouldn't do things…." She shuddered, hugging herself as though trying to warm up her body. Thankfully there was no one here to see this. She continued to her room to retire for the night. Climbing into bed, she went to sleep just to get the day over with.

Maybe tomorrow would be a better day.

/-/

On the day of the interclass tournament, Ichika and Rin's match was the first throughout the day.

Ichika looked out at all the students in the stands. Not one seat was empty as students chatted about while waiting for the match to start. He prayed he wouldn't do something stupid again like draining all his own shield energy. Although his attention would've been better focused on his opponent.

Rin was waiting silently for the match to begin. Her mood didn't seem any better than it had yesterday. Decked out in her IS, the ShenLong, she looked ready to make good on her promise yesterday.

"Both combatants, please get into your designated position."

The broadcaster prompted Rin and Ichika to the center of the arena on the ground. Each of them turned on their communicators to talk to each other. Eventually Rin broke the ice.

"Ichika I'll give you one last chance." Rin threatened. "If you apologize right now for what you've done, I'll pull my punches a little."

"I don't need any favors from you. Show me what you've got Rin." Ichika didn't like going easy on others, and vice versa for himself. A battle was only meaningful if both fighters fought at their best, just like he had against Cecilia. No matter the skill difference.

"Fine. But let me tell you this Ichika. The shields of the IS aren't perfect. The suit can be damaged by an offensive power that breaks through the defensive shields." What Rin stated wasn't a threat but a fact. If an attack was strong enough and the shield energy was too low. Damage could be done to pilot of the power output was too great.

Rin materialized her scimitars, taking an offensive combat stance. "Just know that whatever happens. It's not my fault."

Ichika drew his sword. He had to give it everything he had if he wanted to win.

3…

2…

1...

With the sound of the buzzer, both pilots acted. They immediately flew straight at one another, weapons clashing upon meeting. Their weapons grinded as their owners tried to overpower the other.

"A straightforward attack? That's just like you Rin."

"I could say the same about you Ichika."

The two broke off from their power struggle and proceed to clash repeatedly. Ichika kept his attacks close, not extending out too much like he'd learned from Houki. Rin countered, blocking with one scimitar and attacked with the other only to find her own attack blocked. Ichika was forced on the defensive as her scimitars outnumbered his sword two to one.

Rin then switched up her stragety throwing in sideways attacked mixed in with the vertical strikes. The mix up of direction kept Ichika on guard. Now they were back in a power struggle where they'd first began.

"Not too shabby Ichika. But it's time I show you what ShenLong can really do."

The ball-like things on Rin's shoulders opened up. Before Ichika could even guess what it was, it immediately fired. Ichika was sent flying back by what seemed like an invisible impact.

"And that was just a jab!" She had a proud look on her face. First blood had gone to her.

If that was a jab than the real attack…

A second blast came from Rin's other shoulder cannon which struck Ichika to the ground. Ichika's eyes widened as he checked his IS's condition. The suit had sustained damage from whatever Rin just did. Not even a minute into the fight and his shield energy had lost about 25% of its power.

Rin smirked as she aimed her cannons at the target named Ichika Orimura.

"Aww crap…."

/-/

"What the heck was that?"

In the control room of the stadium. Houki watched the live broadcast with Jayden and Cecilia by her side. All eyes were locked on the screen as Ichika flew to stay just ahead of Rin's shots.

"A long range attack. Why you didn't you warn Ichika about those Jayden?" Houki looked concern as she watched Ichika dodge the incoming fire from Rin.

"I didn't know. She never used them against me." Jayden defended. "But seriously! What the heck are those things? What is she firing and why can't I see whats being fired?"

"Those 'blasters' are known as "Impact Cannons". Their group's IS expert, A.K.A Cecilia, took it upon herself to answer. "They manipulate the barometric pressure of the atmosphere by compressing it into a cannon barrel and firing it like a shockwave. "

Jayden tilted his head.

"It fires compressed air at high speeds to make an explosion."

Jayden nodded in understanding.

Cecilia felt a vein pop in her head. From now on, she was using smaller words around this boy." But now that I see it, it really is a third-generation model. Just like my Blue Tears and your Nova Union."

"Its name is Edel Gleam." From the corner of the room, Gelimer gave the blonde brit the stink-eye. He resumed watching the match with Maya and Chifuyu.

"So, let me get this straight. Rin has a cannon that can fire invisible blasts. That's awesome!" Jayden's eyes beamed. Two glares from the girls reminded him whose side he was supposed to be on. "I mean… Oh no! This is bad… What can Ichika do against those things?"

Cecilia folded her arms, returning her view to the screen. "Whatever Ichika-san does, it better be soon"

Houki started to sweat. She watched on screen as Ichika took another swipe from Rin's scimitars. Every time Ichika took damage, she could feel her heart skip a beat. Ichika was starting to look desperate. Now she no longer cared if Ichika won or not, just that he came back safely.

/-/

"Not bad for dodging most of my 'Dragon's Roar' barrage." Rin would tip her hat if she had one for Ichika's performance so far. Lasting this long against invisible bullets that could fire from any angle without limit was no easy feat.

Throughout the fight Rin mixed and mashed her scimitars with the impact cannons for deadly attacks at both close- and long-range combat. Ichika had been able to hold out but it didn't seem like he could do it much longer. At 15%, his shield energy was a candle flame ready for Rin to snuff out. Meanwhile Rin was at about 70% in terms of shield energy.

Ichika gripped his blade tightly, remembering all the training he did with everyone. Everything they'd done was for him to win this battle.

They believed in him.

Ichika believed in his friends, and himself.

"Rin, I'll be going all out now." Ichika knew he had one way to win.

W-what do you mean? That's what you should've been doing since the beginning." Rin looked surprised, than felt insulted, did Ichika think she wasn't worth being serious? "I'm going to show you that we're not in the same league."

Rin spun her scimitars in her hands like cheerleader batons as Ichika got into position to accelerate to Rin. His sword glowed as he activated his one-off ability. From the moment it started his shield energy began to tick down.

It was now or never.

Ichika accelerated towards Rin with all the speed his IS had. As expected, Rin fired her impact cannons at Ichika to make him change direction. Even if Ichika couldn't see the shots or their trajectory, he did know they would be fired straight at him from Rin's position. He flew to the left, than right feeling the force of air fly past him as he managed to avoid her attacks.

He was almost there! Ichika clenched his fist ready to strike.

Rin gripped her scimitar's. Gripping them at her sides, ready to counter.

"UWOOOOOH!"

"AGHHHHHH!"

Just as the blades were about to connect, the arena shook with a sudden boom.

Both pilots stopped as the looked at the cause of the boom. Now in the center of the arena was a large crater with smoke concealing the center of it.

"What the heck was that?" Ichika asked through the private line but got no answer from Rin.

Smoke rose from from the center of the arena where the unidentified object crashed down. Whatever that thing was, it had managed to break through the arena's defensive barrier. Everyone from the control room to the audience to the combatants were stunned at what had just happened.

The smoke thinned out, allowing the object to be identified.

There in the middle of the arena, stood what appeared to be an IS. It was a greyish color that had abnormally long arms going all the way down to its waist. There was no neck, shoulder, or head that could be seen. It looked like it had full body armor in a way. The large size of that unit also meant that it wasn't a normal one.

It turned slightly in different directions, taking in its surrounds before stopping its sights on the two IS units up in the air. It looked over the pink one and then changed its attention to the white one. Its hands crackled and fingers clenched.

The invader had found its target.

/-/

**And now we move on to the big fight of the arc. I've been looking forward to this part, and things won't be going as smoothly as they do in canon. Let me know of your thoughts in the reviews. Thank you all for reading and I hope you look forward to what comes next. **

**Keep your sense of wonder.**

**Omake**

"You… want a yoga lesson?" Vishnu confirmed.

Jayden looked like he'd seen better days. His hair was a mess and it looked like his eyes had bags under his bags.

"Yes please. I feel like I'm about to punch a wall and break my hand in frustration." Jayden appeared to be about to blow a gasket as his right eye twitched. "You said yoga was a good stress reliever and I need some relief from my stress."

While she considered herself decent at the exercise, she wasn't sure if she was capable of teaching it to someone.

"What's got you so angry?"

Jayden held out his ring finger in her face. "This!" Gesturing to the ring on it.

"You're getting married?"

"NO! My IS! No what matter what I do or try this thing refuses to undergo a first shift. I've tried everything."

"Jayden. It's okay if youu need time to get your IS-"

"No. I've _literally_ tried everything. I've tried training. I've tried fighting stronger opponents. I've tried studying. I've tried yelling at it! I've tried threatening it! I've tried bribing it! I've tried making it jealous!"

That last one caught Vishnu's attention. "Wait what?"

"Got another ring, tried to show off to my IS. Didn't work. Now I'm out a hundred bucks and still no first shift." Jayden sighed heavily. "So please Vishnu, teach how I can relax with yoga. Before I toss this ring into the ocean or do something equally stupid."

Vishnu blinked. Was he joking or…? "Couldn't you try something else. Like taking out your anger out on objects?"

"Already tried that. Didn't work. On an unrelated note. If you see any holes in the first-year dorm walls, it _definitely _wasn't me."

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Vishnu's head. While she wasn't comfortable with group activities, she couldn't leave her friend in this state. Reluctantly she gave in.

"I suppose I can have you follow along with my poses, then you can do them yourself."

Jayden's eyes beamed. Already he could feel the anger leave him

"Thank you, Vishnu. You're the best"

"V-Very well. I, Vishnu Isa Galaxy, may not be qualified, but I will assist you with everything I have." Now that she made a promise, she was going to see it through.

/-/

"Are you ready to begin?" Vishnu asked.

Jayden and Vishnu were on the rooftop, finishing up their warm up stretches to get themselves ready. Jayden was starting to have doubts about this, but Vishnu had gone so far to set this up he had to at least try.

"I guess, but do I really have to wear this?"

The boy had changed into a tight-fitting black shirt and black yoga pants given to him by Vishnu. Jayden pulled at his shirt, letting it snap back into place. And while he had to admit it looked mesmerizing on Vishnu's body, Jayden felt like he was wearing nothing at all.

"Its traditional wear. Tight clothes don't flap about everywhere, they're aerodynamic, not restrictive, and they allow the body to breathe." She explained. They also looked really good on the human body showing off all the attractive areas. But he didn't need to know that. Her eyes were on Jayden's body. The view going lower… and lower… and lower...

"Uh… Vishnu. Where are you looking?"

"Nowhere! Let's begin! We'll start with the Sirsa Padasana."

"The Siraata what now?"

"The head-to-foot pose." Vishnu translated.

She dropped to the floor with her chest on the ground. Bending her back to the point that her feet were dangling over her dark green hair. The boy felt his spine break just looking at it. Hold on. Did she break her spine just to do that?

"Does… does that hurt." Jayden blinked.

"Not anymore. Try doing what I did."

What Vishnu failed to realize is that while she had years of practice and experience performing those positions and loosening her joints, Jayden had none of that.

"Maybe we can start with something. Preferably anything that won't crack my back into little pieces.

"Let's try something else. We'll start smaller. How about the Eka Hasta Vrksasanan?"

"Are you making these names up?"

"I'll now demonstrate."

Vishnu positioned herself to keep her balance on one hand while spreading out her legs and holding out her other hand. It was like she was a one-handed tree. When she found her balance, she motioned for Jayden to try it.

This one didn't look too hard. At least it wouldn't break his bones.

Jayden got onto a handstand so far so good. Now to do it on one hand.

As quickly as he set it up, Jayden's body caved under his weight with the lack of support from his one hand... His head smacked against the fake grass and the rest of him followed.

"Maybe we'll start a little smaller. How about-"

Jayden interrupted her. "I think you and I have different definitions of 'little'. Look Vishnu. I'm a beginner. I can't do those insane logic-defying moves you can do. Please teach me something easy and preferably won't " Jayden begged.

Vishnu nodded along. "All right, I read you loud and clear. I think I know an easier pose that anyone can do."

"Good. Let's start with something sim… ple…."

Jayden's jaw dropped at the sight of Vishnu with both legs behind her head. It was a pose he'd heard about in rumors and seen on TV and movies. and now he was seeing it in person. It was official. Vishnu was a master contortionist.

"Try getting both your legs behind your head." She said like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"H-How!?" He pointed at her legs. Mouth open wide enough that a fly flew in and then back out.

"The trick is to steady you're breathing as you twist your leg into position. Vishnu simply said.

"I'm pretty sure if I tried that, I won't be walking anytime soon.

"How about one leg? That should be easy enough."

"We're you born without bones?!"

"Just give it a try."

Jayden sighed as he sat down. What's the worst that could happen?

/-/

Vishnu exhaled loudly, feeling quite rejuvenated after a good yoga session. Honestly, having someone to do it with felt quite new and more fun.

"That was quite refreshing." She wiped the sweat off her forehead.

'Just give it a try.' Jayden mentally mocked.

Jayden just laid spread out on the ground like a dead body. After so much posing and bending his body in ways it maybe shouldn't have been able to bend. His limbs felt like they were on fire, and oh god his legs! Walking now seemed like distant memory. And that girl did this for fun!? At least he didn't feel stressed anymore.

Maybe that was because he lost all the feeling in his body, but that was anyone's guess.

"Do you feel better now Jayden?" Vishnu asked.

Jayden couldn't move much be he managed to get his hand in what vaguely looked like a thumbs up.

"It actually helped? I'm glad." She smiled. To see a smile that large on her face was like seeing a unicorn. Maybe it was the sun, but that smile was way too bright. Jayden didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise.

Well no harm done in making her happy, Jayden resumed laying on the ground like a dead man. Never before had doing nothing felt so good.

"Oh! Is that the corpse pose? I didn't think you knew that one." Vishnu dropped to the ground as though she'd been gunned down.

"Who the heck names these poses?"

Jayden sighed into the ground as he laid there with Vishnu. The blowing breeze felt nice on their bodies. The peace felt good.

"Thanks for doing this Vishnu."

"You're welcome…"

Another gentle breeze blew past them.

"Hey Jayden?"

"Yeah?"

Vishnu's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "We've known each other for a little bit now. So… I was wondering."

She looked so bashful, Jayden wouldn't say outloud but it was cute.

"What is it?"

"W-Wo….."

Jayden's heartbeat rose. Was she…? About to confess something.

"Would you like to try two person poses?" Vishnu exhaled; it took all her courage to speak those words.

…

…

…

"what?"

"There are some yoga positions that require two people to do. We can bend and fold our bodies to make unique and dynamic poses. Would you like to try them?" Vishnu's eyes were sparkling more than glitter.

All of Jayden's bones screamed. A quick election was held by Jayden's bones and joints. In a unanimous decision, they voted to decline Vishnu's offer. All the mouth had to do was say no. Just say no to those pleading eyes… that hopeful smile… Just say no!

"Sure."

Through the smile. Jayden mentally screamed.

/-/

**Always remember to stretch boys and girls. Stretching is important.**


	10. The Class League Match Part 2

**The big fight of the arc is upon us. Summer is coming soon, and I've been looking forward to the warmer weather for so long. Here's chapter ten.**

"What's happening? What the hell is going on?" Ichika couldn't make sense of what was occurring

The intense tournament everyone had been waiting for didn't seem to matter anymore. Warning sirens blared throughout the arena as shudders closed around the stands to protect the spectators. In the center of all the chaos, was 'that thing' that had pierced through the arena's barrier.

"Ichika, the match has been canceled. Get back to the pit now!" Rin spoke through the ordinary communication line.

That didn't answer anything for him. As he wondered what was going on, the sensors of his IS gave an emergency notice. Whatever that IS was, it was giving off serious energy readings. It had to be IS, but those energy readings… It was more than any IS he'd seen since arriving at the Academy.

"Have you gone deaf Ichika? Get out of here! I'll buy you some time to get away." Rin demanded.

"There's no way I'm going to leave you to deal with this alone Rin!"

"You dimwit! I'm the more experienced one so you have to get to safety. Leave this to me and beat it!"

"You can't handle this alone Rin."

"Are you saying I'm weak?"

The two argued back and forth until, suddenly, the Byakushiki's sensors gave Ichika another warning.

"WATCH OUT!"

Ichika lunged at Rin and flew away with her just as a pink infrared laser flew by where they were. That blast came from the IS which seemed to be able to fire lasers from the holes on its forearms. And according to his IS, those lasers had a higher energy output than even Cecilia's IS.

"That was too close."

"Ho-Hold on a minute you idiot! Let go of me! And where do you think you're touching!?" Ichika ended up carrying Rin in a way a groom would carry their bride. She thrashed about in Ichika's arms trying to shake herself out. She continued to hit his energy shield with her fists while her face was turning as pink as her IS.

Despite Rin's protests, Ichika continued to dodge the energy beams of the invading IS. Managing to stay just ahead of the IS's line of fire, Ichika continued evading blasts to keep himself and his friend safe.

After the last attack was dodged, the greyish abnormal looking IS began to float. The major abnormality about this IS was that the pilot looked to be fully covered with armor. There was no skin or anything peeking out. It was quite odd for an IS pilot.

The defense of the IS was done through energy shields, so applying armor was nothing more than decoration on a unit. The exception though were defensive IS units like Jayden's who had a physical shield but even then, his IS wasn't completely decked in armor. For an IS unit to not show even a centimeter of skin was unheard of. No to mention its large size, abnormally long arms, and jet propulsion nozzles. All together it made a deformed human shape.

"Hey you! Who are you and what are you doing here?" Ichika called out to the invading IS. It answered with another deadly high-powered beam aimed at him.

"Orimura. Huang." Maya's voice spoke through the IS broadcast channel. She sounded much more serious than usual. "You need to vacate the arena immediately. The teachers will be there with IS units soon to neutralize the situation." In the background, he could hear Jayden, Cecilia, and Houki telling him to get out of there.

"No. We have to keep hat IS occupied until everyone escapes." That IS had enough power to break through the arena's barrier. If there was no one to stop it, it may go after the audience next. "Rin, I need your help keeping it occupied until everyone escapes."

"W-Who do you think you're talking to? Of course, I'll help. But before I do that, you have do something."

"Whatever it is, I won't let you down."

"That's the thing. Can you let me down?"

All this time, Ichika had been carrying her despite her physical and verbal protests.

"Ahh, sorry."

Ichika let go of her as she hugged herself before moving away. Did she not like being touched, and why was her face so pink? Those were questions for later.

"What are you saying? You two can't do that. That enemy is-" Ichika and Rin switched their radios off for now. They were focused entirely on the enemy IS as it flew straight at them, firing a scattershot barrage of pink lasers, forcing them to evade.

"Looks like it's all fired up. Ichika."

"Seems that way."

They flew beside each other, wielding their respective weapons.

"How about you go to head-to-head with her while I cover you with my impact cannons." Rin suggested. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was better than nothing. "You only have that sword as a weapon, right?"

"Yeah. All right, let's go!"

Ichika and Rin charged forward with their improvised combination.

/-/

"ORIMURA! HUANG! ANSWER ALREADY! YOU BETTER NOT HAVE MUTED ME!"

Maya shouted anxiously into the IS radio chat. Meanwhile Gelimer worked furiously trying to get the academy's security systems back under control. When half your controls didn't respond, it tended to make things difficult. Behind them, staff members were panicking as they tried to get anything to work the way it should've been. No one was having any luck.

"This is bad. We can't let them fight that IS." Maya said.

"Why not? They want to fight, so let them do so." Chifuyu poured a steaming hot cup of coffee. Seeming quite relaxed as though there wasn't an invading IS attacking the school.

Maya's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious! How can you say that at a time like this Ms. Orimura?"

"Calm down. Why don't ya have a cup of coffee? You're probably stressing so much because your body is running low on sugar." She got to work pouring white stuff into the coffee. "Every path in the arena is blocked right now because of that unknown machine."

"But the other teachers-"

"Are currently trapped behind sealed doors." Gelimer put words in her mouth, wiping away the sweat on his forehead. "Security systems are on the fritz so the hangar doors where IS's are stored are locked. It's gonna take time to get the doors unlocked so staging a rescue isn't happening anytime soon."

"All we can do for wait for now." Chifuyu offered her colleague some caffeine.

"Ms. Orimura, wasn't that salt your just poured into the coffee?" Maya pointed at the containers.

The salt and sugar container were right next to one another with oversized labels. And Chifuyu had just put in the one that didn't belong in coffee. Everyone in the room got to see a rare sight, Ms. Orimura's blushing face.

"I see. You were so worried about your brother that you made a simple mistake."

".."

There was an irritating silence. A really irritating silence.

"Here Maya. Have a drink. You look thirsty." Chifuyu once again, offered the beverage to her teaching aide. Maya wept as she was forced to drink up the hot salty beverage.

Not even being a teacher made you safe from the devil named Chifuyu.

"Well I've got good and bad news." Gelimer massaged his temples with his thumb and middle finger, trying to relieve stress. "Which do you want first ma'am?" Despite his calm appearance, his foot was tapping wildly on the floor.

"Let's hear the bad news first."

"Bad news. The island's security systems are going haywire. The barriers in the arena are at level four, and all main doors are locked throughout the island. This has to be the doing of that IS pilot. So, we can't evacuate or send support."

With the systems as they were, students that watched in the arena stands were trapped inside the closed shuddered stands, unable to evacuate. The teachers were trapped in the IS hangars room, unable to break out to help subdue the invader. The energy barrier which normally kept them safe was now locking them in.

Though Chifuyu looked calm, her hands were unable to restrain her anxiety and she gripped the edge of the table tightly. "And what's the good news?"

"The good news. I was able to get a private channel to link with our invader. It's a long shot but maybe we can reason with her." Chifuyu pushed Gelimer aside to speak into the intercom.

"This is Chifuyu Orimura speaking for the IS Academy. Who are you and what is your purpose here?"

She received no answer.

"This is Chifuyu Orimura speaking for IS Academy. Identify yourself."

Chifuyu repeated her words and got no reply. Was she ignoring her?

"Who. Are. You?"

Chifuyu could only hear background noise from the ongoing battle. No words. No breathing. No sound of life.

Chifuyu steeped away from the intercom.

"There's no one inside that IS unit. Maya, inform Orimura and Huang so they can go all out." Chifuyu ordered.

"But that's impossible! An IS needs someone to pilot it. It can't just act on its own." Chifuyu gave Maya a glare that said 'Stop yapping and do what you're to told. Now.'

"Your teaching aide does have a point though. An IS can't pilot itself. It must be being controlled by someone else from a distance. I'll see if I can set up a jamming frequency." Gelimer began furiously typing away on the keyboard in front of him. If the IS was being controlled remotely, there may be a way to stop it if the signal could be interrupted.

While the teachers worked on solving the problem, one student was sick of doing nothing.

"Ma'am. The teachers are trapped but I'm available. Please give me authorization to use my IS. I can get out there to help." Cecilia volunteered.

"I'd like to do that but look at this."

Chifuyu knocked on the flatscreen display next to the one Gelimer was using. She changed the intel screen to show data on the arena.

"The barrier level on the arena is currently at level four, and we can't change it. With it that strong, no one can get in or out. That's why we can't evacuate or send support." Which meant Ichika and Rin couldn't get out, even if they wanted to. Despite how calmly she said this, her hands on the table were beginning to shake.

"If that's the case, can't we contact the mainland or the government for support? This is an emergency."

"We've already done that; squads are on their way as we speak. It'll take them some time, so we'll have to hold out."

"Then please allow me to join in with those squads when they arrive." Cecilia wanted to do whatever she could to help, anything if possible.

"No. You'd only get in the way if you joined."

"What!? I would never be a hinderance."

"Your IS armaments are suited for taking on many opponents at once. It would be a hinderance when used to take on one enemy, while being among so many allied units."

Blue Tears was designed as a long range IS with multiple ways to attack at once. It could cover a wide area to attack. With so many lasers and drones to operate at once though, she could hit friend by accident.

"I am aware of that." It was a weakness Cecilia never liked to bring up." How could you suggest that? To say that I'm-"

"Have you done any combined training before? What was the mission? What was your position? How did you use your wide range weaponry? Did you think of what the enemy's level is? The suit's operation time…"

"I-I got it. I understand…" Cecilia gave an 'I surrender' pose, giving up to prevent Chifuyu from continuing what seemed like a very long lecture on why she wasn't ready.

"Good then. I wouldn't want to lose any of my students."

She knew Cecilia was skilled as a representative cadet and had much more experience in an IS compared to fellow students her age and maybe even some adults. But despite her accomplishments, she was still a child and much too green as an IS pilot. The risk of messing up was too great with the stakes as they were.

"And Sylvan. You're out of the question." Chifuyu shot him down before he could consider action. She turned back to the screen to continue watching the ongoing battle.

Jayden gave no response. Mainly because he wasn't there. He wasn't the only one missing as Houki was nowhere to be found. Of course, everyone was too busy to realize this.

/-/

Houki ran through the hangar halls with Jayden following behind her. The warning sirens blaring through the halls didn't make her feel any better. Things were at their worse with lives on the line, and her best friend risking his life to protect everyone. The only thing that ease her mind was that she wasn't doing this alone.

"Thank you for coming with me." Houki acknowledged Jayden, who running behind her.

"When I saw you leave, I knew you had an idea." Jayden said. "With everything going on, I couldn't stay there. So where are we going?"

"The audio booth. We can do what we need to there."

"The audio booth? That's a horrible idea!" Jayden protested.

"You have a better place in mind?"

"Yeah. We need to get to the school bunkers."

Houki raised an eyebrow. "How are we supposed to help Ichika from there?"

"Help him? We should be putting distance between ourselves and that killer IS."

Houki stopped running, prompting Jayden to do the same.

"Distance? What do you think I'm trying to do?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Jayden and Houki stared at one another. Looks like they weren't on the same page they originally thought they were.

"We need to help Ichika!/We need to find a place to hide!"

An awkward silence hung between them.

"What the heck are you thinking? Me? You're the one that's out of your mind!" They accused one another. Each one was thinking the other was insane.

"How can you think about hiding at a time like this?" Houki demanded.

"Quite easily actually. There's an IS unit out there trying to kill everyone. So, we need to get as far away as it as possible." Jayden explained.

"So, you're going to do nothing to help!?"

"Not exactly. I'm going to help by doing nothing. I'll stay out of the adult's way and let them handle it."

"What about your IS?" Houki pointed out. "You have the power to help them!"

Jayden did a mental check of his weaponry. IS. Check. Shield. Check… That was it. "Yeah… I don't think I'd do much good if I went out there."

Houki could feel her blood boil as anger swelled up inside her. This guy had the power to make a difference out there, to do something to help, and he was content without doing anything?

"…rd" Houki growled.

Jayden blinked. "What was that?"

"You coward!" Houki yelled making Jayden flinch. "You have a personal unit. You could go out there and help fight that IS. You could save lives! And instead of doing that, you're running away with your tail between your legs."

"I'm not being a coward. I'm being smart! My IS is still in default mode and I don't have any fancy weapons like Ichika and Lingyin. I have a shield. That thing has lasers. If I go out there, I'd only be a meat shield."

Houki rolled her eyes. "At least then you'd be useful."

That comment struck a nerve with him.

"Oh, _I_ wouldn't be useful? Okay then, enough about my uselessness. Let's talk about your genius plan. What were you going to do again?"

"I'm going out there to help my friends." Houki stated.

"Uh-huh. And what contribution are you going to provide?"

Houki was silent. She had been in such a hurry to lend Ichika her aid that she didn't consider what she really did bring to the table. The best she could do was give him encouragement by sending a message through the broadcast booth. All she could do was send verbal encouragement.

"That's what I thought. You can't do anything to help so all you'd be doing is putting yourself in danger for no reason. We all saw that thing rip past the energy barrier, you won't be safe."

"I don't care about being safe or not. Ichika needs help."

"I agree, but we're not the ones to do that!"

"You're only saying that cause you're too afraid of getting hurt. Ichika is risking his life for everyone and all you can think about is yourself. How can you call yourself a man?"

"I'll call myself anything if it means I get to live." Jayden defended. "But you think you can make a difference when you can't! This whole idea of yours is stupid."

"At least I'd die doing even a little to help."

"Sure. If you call that helping."

The two glared at one another. They both had their reasons for why they did and didn't want to go out there.

"For someone who's related to Tabane Shinonono, you're pretty stupid." Jayden said.

Jayden had put on the straw that broke the camel's back.

Houki's hand swept across Jayden's face, making him stagger back from the force.

"The only thing me and her share is a family name. I'm nothing like my sister." Houki roared. She had to stop herself from knocking his teeth out. "You're one of the few who have their own IS. You could make a difference and instead you're doing nothing. You have no idea what it's like to be powerless you big coward."

"Do you even realize what you're doing? If you go out there, all you're gonna do is paint a big red target on yourself. But whatever. Go get yourself killed, see if I care. Hope you fulfill your death wish!"

Oh how she wanted to wring his neck, but there were more important things to do. Houki ran on through the halls until he could no longer see her. And she would be fine, sure she was doing something stupid, but not _that_ stupid to put herself in the way of that IS unit. His hand fell to this side, scratching his hip worryingly.

Jayden reluctantly turned himself around, each step harder to take than the last.

/-/

Ichika swung his sword vertically only for his target to sidestep the attack and punch him back, sending him about twenty feet back. It really packed a punch. Blasts from afar by Rin were blocked by the IS's incredibly long arm. Rin was shocked that the IS managed to block her invisible impact shot. When she was finished, the IS regained its composure and fired particle lasers making the Chinese girl take evasive maneuvers.

For the fourth time in a row, their planned attack had failed.

"Ichika you blockhead! Can't you aim that thing properly?" Rin called out.

"I'm trying!"

Despite the angle or speed Ichika attacked, it always managed to evade with its abnormal thruster output and keep out of Ichika's reach. No matter how much Rin tried to get its attention, it always prioritized Ichika's actions and reacted appropriately. There was no way he could use the barrier void attack without being stopped.

He checked his remaining shield energy reserves. The amount on his monitor displayed 60. Just enough to use the barrier void attack one more time.

"Rin. How much shield energy do you have left?" Ichika asked.

"About 180. But with that thing's firepower, one more hit on either of us will knock out our shield energy and leave our IS's immobile. At this rate, our chances of taking it down are between slim and none."

Ichika smirked. "At least it isn't zero."

Rin resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Your hopeless. Head's up!"

The invading IS began spinning like a top while holding out its arms to fire lasers in rapid succession. Both pilots had to move to the edge of the arena's barrier to get enough reaction time to dodge.

Rin managed to narrowly avoid getting fried. "So, do you have a plan Ichika? I'm out of ideas."

"Actually, I do."

Ichika wasn't much of a betting man, but with things as they were now, he'd figure he'd have to take a huge gamble if he wanted to win. While it was a dangerous gamble, Ichika was sure it could work. At least sure enough to give it a shot.

"When I give the signal, you hit that thing with your impact cannons at full blast. I'll rush in and my one-off ability," Ichika's left hand was clenching and unclenching itself.

Rin's face showed doubt. That plan sounded awfully similar to what they'd already tried. Multiple times,

"Okay. But what if I miss?"

"It'll be fine, even if you do miss. Here's why."

Ichika got into an attacking position about to explain his hastily scheme, when the audio broadcast of the arena let out a loud voice.

"ICHIKA!"

The voice had a long-extended echo that ran through the arena, coming from the audio booth.

Through the zoom feature of his IS, Ichika could see Houki in the audio booth. She was panting while her shoulders trembled and that angry look on her face was where it always was. Only that face showed more concern than usual.

"IF YOU'RE A MAN, YOU'D BETTER DEFEAT THAT ENEMY COMPLETELY!"

Ichika's smiled softened. Even Houki had faith in him. No way he could let everyone down now.

"…"

However, Ichika wasn't the only one to hear her voice. The IS had taken notice, its sensor now looking at where the origin of the voice came from. It raised its arm up, pointing directly at…

Oh no.

"Crap! Rin! Do it now!"

Ichika moved himself in front of Rin with the Byakushiki's wings unfolded. Directly in Rin's line of fire.

"Hey you stupid jerk, get out of the way!"

"Just shoot, dammit!"

Rin's eyes widened as she now understood Ichika's plan. "But-"

"Do it!"

Ichika's words boomed out, making Rin freeze.

"Fine! Just know that whatever happens, it's not my fault!"

"Yeah. And don't hold back."

Rin half-reluctantly fired the largest impact cannon shot she could at Ichika's back. Ichika's eyes focused completely on the enemy. Even at his Byakushiki's max speed, that IS could dodge and counter him. The solution was to win? Go even faster. With Rin's impact cannon pushing him, and Ichika propelling himself forward at max speed, it just may be enough.

This dangerous plan was their final gambit.

Ichika accelerated forward from the huge blast behind him. The Yukihara Nigata in his right hand began to glow and a larger energy blade extended out as Ichika activated his one-off ability. With his resolve, he pushed himself to go faster than he had before.

"AAAAAH!"

Ichika closed in on the IS. His blade passed through the energy shield of the IS. As he drove it in, he heard the sound of a laser being fired.

Ichika's blade stabbed right through the armor of the IS. He let out a roar as he held the blade in place, determined to pierce the life out of it. The absolute defense of the IS was triggered reducing its shield energy to zero. With no shield energy left, IS was unable to move and the laser blast died down. The boy deactivated Reiraku Byakura, retracting his blade leaving him with shield energy in the single digits.

The IS fell over, but Ichika didn't care about that right now. His eyes followed to where the particle laser hit.

The audio booth was destroyed with a majority of its wall missing and smoke covering all of the area. Even with the enhanced view from the IS, he couldn't see through the smoke and rubble.

"HOUKI!" Ichika desperately called out to Houki, anything to show she was alive.

"Are you guys okay?

"I think so…"

A voice did call out, but it wasn't Houki's.

As the smoke cleared, Ichika and Rin could make out another IS unit, this one was much more familiar looking. There was Jayden in his thin dark green IS unit. Down on one knee, he was holding out his shield which looked heavily scorched. And behind him was Houki, crouched down on the floor.

"Jayden! Are you guys all right?" Ichika asked through the communication line.

"We're both fine. Please tell me that thing is dead."

"Yeah. It's finished." Ichika collapsed, falling onto his back. He could feel the adrenaline in his body start to wear out.

The same could be said for Jayden, only he'd fallen over in fear. He replayed blocking that laser on constant loop. That was actually him doing that! Jayden wasn't sure if he should feel like bad-ass or an idiot with a death wish. He settled on half and half.

"Are you all right?" Houki crawled over, her eyes meeting his as she took a seat beside him. Now she felt entirely guilty. Had he not been there, she may have been blasted to oblivion. And now he'd put himself in harm's way to keep her out of it.

"My body isn't screaming in pain, so I guess I'm okay…"

Neither of them wanted to speak first. Eventually someone had to break the ice.

"You… came back for me?" Houki asked.

"Something like that. I just wanted to make sure you didn't die. I only came out when I saw that thing about to fire at you." Jayden stared up at the sky, now possible with the roof destroyed.

"I'm sorry about what I said." Houki apologized. "I was angry and wasn't thinking straight. I"

"You weren't completely wrong, I didn't wanna get hurt and everyone was trying to do something except me." Jayden admitted.

"That's true, but I shouldn't have called you out on it. But what you did was really brave."

It was pretty brave, but like always he only did it because his body moved on its own. If he had a reason, he didn't know what it was. "Hey Houki. How did you do what ya did?"

"What?" Houki looked back at him.

"I mean, you knew there was a chance you could get hurt or worse, and you still went out here. What drove you to do it?"

"Well…" Houki pictured Ichika's smiling face in her head. While it was her main reason, she couldn't admit it to him. "I did it for the sake of others. I felt if I didn't help, a lot more people would've been worse off." Houki looked away from his eyed. "Does that make any sense?"

"I think so. For the sake of someone else huh?" Usually it was the thought of someone getting hurt that prompted him to do something he'd never normally do. Like helping Vishnu or blocking a deadly laser. Maybe Houki was on to something.

"Anyway. Thank you for saving me." Houki laid down next to him, there was work to be down and most defiantly punishment waiting for them. But that could wait till later.

Back at the arena ground, Ichika collapsed, landing on his back now that his adrenaline wore off. He deactivated Byakushiki just as Rin flew down next to him hurling out insults and telling him how stupid that last move, he pulled was. He just happily took it with a smile. Thankful that no one was hurt.

They were all so busy celebrating and resting that no one paid attention to the downed IS that was beginning to glimmer.

/-/

"Awww… it's over already. I wanted to see Ikkun in action just a little more."

Somewhere in the universe, a certain someone was watching the results of the spectacle. She spun her chair in a 180 and began reading over the data reports from another monitor. Yup, she'd gotten what she wanted but…

This wasn't satisfying enough.

She pouted and folded her arms under her ample bust. She let out a sigh and began typing on her monitor. Her hands typed across the holo-keyboard as she shifted data around. This felt like a loss, something she wasn't too familiar with.

Well it wasn't a total loss; she had gotten to see Ichika in action. And the combat data she'd obtained on his unit was about what she expected to obtain. Still, the whole thing felt like playing a demo of video game, not enough to leave her satisfied by the end and wanting more.

"Oh well, what can you do?"

Welp. Time to hit the kill switch. No sense in letting anyone reverse engineer her magnificent hard work. Just as she was about to activate a self-destruction protocol, a notification popped up.

"Oh ho ho! And what do we have here….?"

While she was satisfied with the results obtained, apparently the IS didn't. For whatever reason it stated the unit considered its mission was incomplete. Something about another subject that had been identified to gather data on. She'd sent that IS to gather combat data for her _special_ project, and if her creation wanted to help gather more, well why should she say no?

She smiled mischievously, observing the rising statistics on her screen. Her Golem model was… oh wow! The woman patted herself on the back, sometimes she even amazed herself. Not even she expected this to happen.

That IS unit _really_ wanted to see its mission through to the end. The woman leaned back into her chair to get comfy. The mechanical rabbit like ears on her head moved excitedly. Looks like she'd get her wish after all.

/-/

The battle was over. At least it should have been.

A sudden glow from the arena's ground drew everyone out of their cheer and rest. Jayden and Houki peered near the edge to look while Rin moved herself in front of Ichika, ready to act if needed. Her hands started to shake as she summoned her weapons once again.

A few moments later and the blinding light faded allowing them to see. Ichika, Rin, Jayden, and Houki all watched with terror at the IS they swore had just been defeated was now standing.

So why was it standing back up? And to follow up, why did its form change? And why was the arena starting to change color?

The human shaped thing on the IS was gone, making it look like an IS unit without anyone inside it. Its color scheme was darker, now blacker and using the brown coloring as highlights on the sides of it. On its hands the four holes where it fired its lasers from seemed to have combined into one bigger hole on its palms. Speaking of its arms, they looked to have gotten even longer and bulkier.

The human shaped decoy that looked to piloting it was also gone, removing any doubt there wasn't a person inside it. The thing that looked to be its face began to light up.

Rin held out her weapons, ready to block any attack if needed. Ichika's shield energy was at zero. And considering how low her shield energy was, she wasn't sure how long she would last when it attacked. Especially when she had to protect Ichika now.

The revived IS seemed to be looking around, taking in its surroundings

Rin tensed up as the IS stared at her and Ichika. She didn't dare move, she had herself positioned in a desperate attempt to keep Ichika out of view of it. Thankfully the IS turned away. Now it had its sights up on the wrecked audio booth.

Detecting two life forms in the wrecked booth, it zoomed its sights for a closer look. Lingering for a few seconds of Houki before moving on. Then stopping when looking at Jayden. It stared at him… well more like centered itself at him for a few seconds. When it was finished whatever it was doing, the lights on its assumed face glowed brighter.

Its new target had been found.

The IS charged straight for Jayden, tearing straight through the energy barrier. Just as fast as the hole was made, it sealed. Leaving those inside trapped. The color scheme of the barrier also begun to change. Once transparent white, now it was turning red as it started to cackle with electricity.

"Oh crap!"

Jayden's fight or flight response kicked. He chose the latter and literally flew away the arena. Houki ducked down as that black IS flew over her. Thankfully it didn't seem to be interested in her. She watched as both units flew across the academy grounds.

Jayden now immediately helping. Okay, he didn't regret saving Houki but everything that happened after that part. Up in the sky he had no way to shake the IS off his tail with nothing to fly around. He kept himself high above the buildings on the island, lest he wanted any of those lasers aimed towards the buildings which could have people inside them.

The mysterious IS chased after and was slowly gaining on him. Getting closer, it held open its palms and fired a laser from each one. Jayden could feel the heat from each blast as he narrowly managed to avoid getting blasted out of the sky. If that had hit him… Sweat began to drip down his face, he couldn't die like this. Right?

"What do you want with me!?" Through his tears, Jayden asked through the broadcast.

The only answer Jayden got was a high power charged laser blast form the palm of that IS. Jayden deployed his shield to block it, only to be blown back as it overpowered him. The impact made Jayden drop his shield while his shield energy stopped him from getting murdered. If the results of that short scuffle were any indication, it was official. fighting that thing was not an option.

He didn't know what to do. That thing was faster than him so running was out of the question. Fighting back (while useless) would've been brave, but he wasn't feeling so brave right now. So, what do you do when you can't fight or run away?

Before Jayden could figure out an answer, a barrage of blasts came down between him and the IS. Four blue drone-like machines flew around the enemy IS and attacked it on all sides with blue lasers, managing to draw its attention. The IS held out its arms to defend itself as it tried swatting the drones away.

Up a good 50 feet away was another IS. Its color was as blue as tears while its blond pilot had a face Jayden never thought he'd be happy to see.

"Are you all right Jayden?" asked Cecilia. She resumed fire on the enemy with her starlight rifle, focusing primary on controlling her drones.

"Cecilia!" A blue tear fell down Jayden's cheek. For the first time, he was happy to see her. Now he'd taken back every mean insult he'd ever said about her. He no longer saw her as an annoying British know-it-all. No. Now she was a beautiful guardian angel.

Cecilia dodged an incoming laser and resumed controlling her drones around the IS. Her shots struck the enemy IS but they didn't seem to be doing much damage. "Go hide somewhere. I'll handle this." With no allies around, she wouldn't have to worry about hitting anyone she didn't mean to.

Never had anything Cecilia said sounded so good. With the IS distracted, Jayden flew down near academy grounds. He took shelter behind a dorm building, out of sight from the battle.

Sticking to behind a building, Jayden tried to control his breathing before he couldn't. Good thing he had practice seeing Vishnu do it so many times. Though the stress of everything going on must have been getting to him. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear he could see Vishnu hiding behind a tree in the park area. That dark green hair and the scarves on her uniform.

Man. He was really losing it.

Before he could question his mental stability, the communication line crackled to life.

"Sylvan. Alcott. What the hell do you think you're doing out there!" An angry commanding voice spoke through the communication line.

That was Ms. Orimura! Oh god. She was gonna have their asses for this.

"Uhh…"

"When I say that you _don't_ have authorization to go out, just what exactly do you hear?"

Either Cecilia was either too focused on the enemy to respond or she chose not to speak out of fear. A good call on her part. Jayden wasn't sure if the IS or Ms. Orimura was scarier.

"Well… um…You see ma'am… it's like…"

"Forget it. We'll have a talk about your punishment later. Right now, one of you needs to explain what the hell is going on."

With Cecilia busy fighting, Jayden told them what he had witnessed. He told them of everything he saw from how Ichika and Rin supposedly defeated the IS, to what was happening now. Keeping things short and brief. Also leaving out the parts where he flew away in tears.

"So that invading IS is back online and now outside the arena barrier." Chifuyu tensely summarized.

"Yeah, Cecilia's fighting it and I'm…" Jayden didn't want to sound too cowardly, but he couldn't think of a way to say it that paint him in a good light.

"Let's just say you're pulling a tactical retreat." Gelimer said quickly to move things along. "And based on what Jayden told us, it's safe to assume by its change in design that the IS seems to have undergone a first shift."

"Oh come on!"

If the situation wasn't so dire, Jayden would've ranted. Was there a membership fee for the first shift club that he hadn't paid? First Ichika, now a pilotless IS. Why did everyone get a first shift but him? He'd save his complaints for later.

"Though I'm pretty sure an IS needs a pilot to undergo a shift change, we'll just add this to the bullshit this thing can do." Gelimer finished.

"Ma'am. What are our orders?" Cecilia asked. She arranged her drones in a V-shaped formation to keep the IS's focus away from her.

"Since that IS went through a first shift, it's been making the energy barriers around the school haywire. Now they're beginning to overload with energy." Chifuyu explained.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Jayden asked. He figured more power meant a stronger shield.

"Normally yes, but the shields are taking in more power than they output. Too much energy is being stored with not enough release. If too much energy is stored the whole system will explode. And we currently have students and teachers trapped inside those energy barriers."

If what Chifuyu said was true, than they didn't have much time until that happened.

"So, we have to destroy that IS unit before it overloads the security systems." Cecilia summarized.

"For you two that'll be easier said than done." Chifuyu wanted to believe in them but fighting that IS with the current pilots and IS suits available didn't bode well. Ichika and Rin IS's were both power types that excelled at dealing damage. Cecilia's element was in long range combat while Jayden IS was a defensive unit nor did it have any unique properties for combat. "That IS has to be stronger now and your units aren't equipped to deal with this. But at this point we don't have any other options."

"I really don't like our chances fighting that thing." Jayden panicked.

"Umm… excuse me," Another voice interrupted, now it was Maya Yamada speaking. "When that IS moved away from the arena, the rate at which it was overloading the arena's barrier energy decreased. Just a little but it was noticeable."

"Well that doesn't do us any good." Cecilia said.

"Actually, that may be our best solution. If we can get the IS away from the academy, It may stop the energy overload." Chifuyu said.

The only issue was how to lure the IS away.

"As much as we'd like that. We'd need something it wants for it to chase after." Gelimer pointed out. "The only thing that IS has shown interest in is-" The man completely shut up. He covered his mouth with his hands, and regret washed over his face. "Never mind. Forget I said anything. Alcott's right, this doesn't do us any good."

Ms. Orimura though picked up what he was saying.

"Sylvan, are you still there?" She asked to get his attention. "We may have a way to get the IS away from the island, and it involves you."

"Me?" Jayden didn't like the sound of this.

"For reasons unknown, that IS is interested in men. If it sees you leaving the academy, it should follow you off the island and should give us time to stabilize the energy levels."

"You can't be serious!" An immediate answer came from Gelimer. "You want him to lead the IS away from the island? The IS that can easily kill him? Jayden is just a student; he isn't ready for anything like this. You're practically asking him to throw his life away."

"You think I don't know that? We're running out of time and we don't have any other options." Chifuyu countered.

"We're not even sure if it'll work. Maybe the IS gave our systems a virus. With a little time, we may be able to get it out of our systems." Gelimer was starting to sound desperate.

"We don't have time to try that. We won't know unless we try and it's better than doing nothing."

Gelimer and Chifuyu argued over the comm lines over what they should and shouldn't do.

Eventually Jayden put in his two cents. "For once I'm with Gelimer. I can't do this! What about Cecilia? She's a better pilot. Why can't she be the bait?"

"Because I'm not the one It wants." Cecilia answered

"You can't be serious. Ms. Orimura, you can't make me do this." Jayden pleaded.

"She's not making you do anything." Gelimer reassured.

Jayden felt faint. If it wasn't for the IS system keeping him in the air, he'd crashed into the ground by now. The adults who were supposed to teach and protect him were now telling him to practically get himself killed out there. What the heck was he supposed to do?

"There has to be another way. Gelimer's right I can't do this. I-"

"Sylvan!" Ms. Orimura shut him up. "You're right. Normally you wouldn't be anywhere near this but things aren't normal now. We're aware this is a lot to ask but you're the only one who can lead it away."

"There's no guarantee that this'll work even if I do this."

"Jayden. If you do this. People _may_ die. If you don't. People _will_ die."

Jayden's body tensed up, Chifuyu really knew how to make a person think. Ignoring Gelimer's background protests, Jayden went into a deep thought on the situation. thinking of everything that was at stake and the potential outcomes of what would happen regarding his decision. His body and mind was saying no but his heart was saying yes.

"_I did it for the sake of others."_

Jayden remembered Houki's words. Houki knew what she did may not even help at all, and yet she did it anyway. She risked her life so she help the people she knew be safe. Could he do the same?

"All I have to do is run away?" Jayden managed to croak out.

"What?"

"What?"

Both adults ceased their argument.

"All I have to do is run away? That's it right?" He asked.

"That's all." Chifuyu answered.

"Don't you dare do this Jayden!" Geliemr sounded like he was about to blow a gasket.

Jayden took the longest breath of his life. "When I get back, I want major extra credit for this."

"We'll work something out." Chifuyu said. She continuing on, ignoring Gelimer's protests. "Sylvan. Lead it out to open sea." While it would've been better to run towards the direction of the mainland IS units, they would've met in the middle of city. Who knows what that IS could affect in a city area filled with people? "Let that IS chase Sylvan but keep it away if it gets too close. You're the only thing that's keeping it away from him."

"Roger." Cecilia called back her drones in preparation.

"JAYDEN! DO. NOT–"

The boy switched to a personal communication line with Cecilia. He peaked out from behind the building, seeing Cecilia do her best to keep the IS at bay.

Now how to get its attention?

"HEY! LOOK AT ME! OVER HERE!" Jayden wildly waved his hands up in the air like he just didn't care, yelling at the top of lungs. He figured it was good a way as any to get everyone's attention. Though did Cecilia have to be giving him that look?

It did the trick though as the IS turned towards his direction, probably taking a moment to scan his IS signature or something. When it raised its hand at him and a huge laser screamed with energy at him as got into a movement position. Oh yeah, it had noticed him.

Now it was time to run away!

Unfortunately, Jayden had forgotten to account that this IS was much faster than his own, and it had a head start before Jayden had started moving.

In a rare instant, Cecilia rocketed herself at the IS, managing to grab onto it. Performing what looked to be a poor wrestling hold to keep the IS stalled.

"GO! NOW!

Jayden flew out to the sea, watching them with the 360-degree vision of the IS. He saw that black IS managed to shake Cecilia off after a few seconds and proceeded to wail on her with its fists. It then locked both its hands, raising them above her.

The black IS's large fists struck her sending Cecilia spiraling to the ground.

"Cecilia!"

Thankfully the blond Brit managed to stabilize herself before crashing at the edge of the island. She flew back up taking shots at the IS to slow it down. "Don't worry about me, focus on staying ahead of it."

Having knocked away Cecilia, the IS resumed going after Jayden. Cecilia got back up and chased it in hot pursuit.

The three units flew away from the island with the fate of the academy uncertain.

/-/

**The menace isn't done just yet. A hasty plan may give our cast a chance to save their home.**

**I wanted to have all our key players involved in the fight, and almost all the pieces are in place. While the golem battle was okay, I felt it leaved a little more to be desired. And also I wanted to delve a little deeper into how an IS worked.**

**Sorry but I'm afraid there's no omake this time, I couldn't think of anything funny enough to do with the current situation. Though I do have some good ones planned for the next chapters. Let me know what you think in the reviews and keep safe.**

**Keep your sense of wonder everyone and see you next time.**


	11. The Class League Match Part 3

**The conclusion to the arc is upon us. Thank you all for sticking with the story so far and I hope you continue reading as I update. I hope you've all bee enjoying the summer time!**

**This marks my longest chapter yet, fitting for the end of an arc.**

**Enjoy Chapter 11.**

An American child and a British teenage sniper were leading a killer machine away from their home to protect everyone they knew and loved.

What sounded like the plot of a B-list movie was currently ensuing.

Jayden's shield came up to block the black IS's fist, from punching his lights out. Only for the ensuing force to still send him flying across the water until he could stabilize himself. Cecilia used the opportunity to rain suppressive fire with her bits from above to giving Jayden extra time to recuperate and continue running.

The IS countered with two energy blasts from its hands, forcing Cecilia to scatter her bits to evade.

"Can't you fly any faster?" Cecilia yelled.

"I would if I could. This is as fast as my IS can go!" Jayden yelled back. Only to yelp as another pink laser flew past him, hitting the water causing it to erupt.

Even with Cecilia provided covering fire to slow down that IS, Jayden was barley keeping a fair distance ahead of it. Jayden's IS was still in default mode, and its current base speed wasn't worth bragging about.

"Just keep moving. I'll focus on keeping you safe." Cecilia fired another at the IS.

The stragety of leading the IS away from the academy seemed to be working as the IS staff gave updates on how the shield energy levels were beginning to drop. If this plan continued the machinery could return to normal and help could be sent while evacuating the island.

Above the ocean Cecilia continued to take aim with her starlight rifle, delivering another barrage of hits onto the IS. However, like before the black IS didn't seem phased by her attack, continuing its focus on Jayden.

"Look out!"

Jayden gritted his teeth as barely got his shield up in time to block, but it being so powerful the blast blew him back. While his shield helped, the resulting impact was too large and powerful to fully block, and his shield energy suffered for it.

"Jayden! Are you all right?"

"Peachy…" Sweat ran down his face his IS showed his remaining shield energy was just barley above 80. One more attack like that would be curtains for him. "Nova Union can't take much more of this."

"I'm aware of that." Cecilia's eye twitched. Their plan was beginning to unravel. Jayden's shield energy was dangerously low, and they were barely halfway to the rendezvous with mainland reinforcements. Before she could contemplate what to do next, her radar gave her an update on the units in the vicinity. "Jayden, another unit's approaching!"

"What!" A quick glance at his radar confirmed Cecilia's statement. Another unit flying a fair distance behind the black IS was heading towards them. "Is it one of those reinforcement girls?"

"It shouldn't be. We're nowhere near our target location."

"So it's not on our side?"

"I can't say. The energy reading from that IS is one I've never seen before."

Using 360-degree vision and enhanced zoom, they were able to view the incoming IS. This one was colored orange angular armor. On its knees, the armor seemed more spherical in design at the joints. Armor on the arms seemed standard with light armor bracers. The only concern was that they couldn't see If there was a person piloting the IS from their angle.

"Whoever you are in the orange IS unit, identify yourself now." Cecilia demanded.

…

…

…

No answer.

Both pilots felt a sense of dread in the air.

Jayden was trying his best not to completely lose it. One enemy IS was bad yet manageable. But two would be more than they could handle.

Cecilia once again was forced to use the bits of Blue to slow down their enemy's advance. Only this time the black IS powered through her barrage, smacking one of the bits down into the explosion with a boom. It than flew up till it was parallel across form Jayden as it extended its arm, preparing a final blast to knock Jayden out of the sky.

Jayden squeaked as he held out his last defense, praying for a miracle.

Just as it was about to fire, some sort of green arrow projectile made of energy launched from the orange IS that was now holding a bow. The arrow managed to knock the IS's aim off course causing its attack to miss Jayden.

The IS than recalled its weapon and sped up till it a good thirty feet above. Once in position it dove down in what looked to be a kicking stance. As it got on top of the black IS, the orange IS twisted its body to perform a spin kick, sending the black IS into the water with a large splash.

Both teens were stunned by the act this newcomer had performed. With that out of the way forn the orange IS unit approached them. Cecilia positioned herself in front of Jayden, ready to shoot with her starlight rifle if necessary. Thankfully to both teens relief they could now see there was a human piloting this IS.

She looked to be a teenage girl, about Cecilia's age with slightly tanned skin. Her bob-style haircut was a darkish green color and her violet colored eyes were shifting about, unable to meet their gazes. Not to mention she looked… way too familiar. Heck she looked a lot like Vishnu.

Jayden blinked. There was no way. The stress must be making his eyes play tricks on him.

"Alcott. Sylvan. Why have you stopped, what the hell is going on? And who is that with you?" Chifuyu spoke through the broadcast. "And you, the one who just met up with Alcott and Sylvan, identify yourself."

The girl stammered about, talking so quietly that not even a microphone would make her audiable.

"Talk so I can hear you!" Chifuyu demanded.

That didn't help her at all.

"V-Vishnu?" Jayden asked.

The fact she looked his way when he asked her name and managed a small wave she confirmed the girl in the orange IS unit was indeed the same shy girl he could barely hold a conservation with. Jayden's jaw would've dropped to the depths of the ocean if it was long enough.

"Ms. Orimura. This is Vishnu. She's a student at our school, same year as me." .

Cecilia's eyes widened, hearing that name jogged her memory. "Ma'am. He's correct. With us is Vishnu Isa Galaxy, representative cadet of Thailand and the personal pilot of the IS Durga Singh."

Representative cadet! Personal pilot! Jayden's draw dropped even further thanks to the bomb Cecilia dropped.

"That's your personal IS unit!?"

"Yes. This is my IS. Durga Singh." Vishnu poked her fingers together, her gaze downward toward the sea.

There was so much Jayden wanted to ask but, Chifuyu interrupted them to get things back on track. "Galaxy, how were you able to get out from the arena? All the students in there are still trapped inside."

"Arena? I-I was never in the arena." Vishnu answered. "I watched the tournament from outside. Then I saw the IS invade and I went into hiding."

Jayden remembered that she mentioned she'd be watching the tournament in the courtyard to avoid interacting with anyone.

"I watched everything when Jayden and Ms. Alcott flew away. I also eavesdropped on your conservation earlier. Please don't be mad."

"That's fine. Saves us the trouble of explaining whats going on. All of you, keep leading the IS towards the rendezvous point. Galaxy, you're to aid Alcott in keeping the IS away from Sylvan. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am" The three students answered in unison.

Perfect timing as the black IS menacingly arose from the ocean depths The IS was a robot, and thus incapable of showing emotion. Still. Everyone would agree that the black IS's mood seemed to be livid.

The three pilots booked it.

The plan hadn't changed, The IS was still chasing Jayden so they flew away from the Academy with the IS following. The only difference now was they had two representative cadets to slow down their enemy. Cecilia and Vishnu fired their weapons from afar to keep the IS from getting too close.

Vishnu sighed in relief as her arrow barely hit its mark.

Key word being barely.

"We're about halfway to the rendezvous." Cecilia reported. Once they got there, they could leave this metal menace to the authorities.

"Holy cow, we may actually pull this off!" Jayden said.

Vishnu exhaled as she hadn't messed up yet.

"Everyone better be cheering our names when we get back."

"E-everyone!" Vishnu tried very hard not to think about the many people now counting on her to help make sure this plan went off. And they'd all be thinking about every move she made and her performance. Her mind than wondered if there were even doing it now.

"Do you think they're watching?" Vishnu's hand started to shake, even with the additional movement her energy arrow managed to graze the side of the black IS.

"Huh?"

"Do you think…. anyone is watching us do this."

"I doubt they'll have visual since we're this far out." Cecilia said.

Vishnu sighed in relief.

"But they may be able to broadcast audio if they wanted to." Cecilia guessed.

Vishnu's breathing rate sped up. Her hand slipped and the arrow flew out, missing the IS by about six feet. Luckily Cecilia was able to have her drones make up for it.

"Don't worry Vishnu. No matters who's watching, you'll do great!" Jayden reassured.

To anyone that would be a sign of reassurance, but to Vishnu it wasn't. If he was counting on her that meant it was all on her to do well. If something went wrong, he would blame her. Anyone that went wrong now would be due to her poor performance. She began to sweat as her free hand clutched her chest to try to stabilize herself.

With both girls holding their fire, the IS saw another opportunity to charge an attack. It held out its hands as it's palms glowed a bright pink, indicating dual lasers were about to fire.

"Galaxy, you knock the right hand off course. I'll get the left." Cecilia ordered,

Vishnu's vision felt blurry, like the whole world was shaking.

"Hurry!"

Cecilia's laser shot hit the fight hand to knock its shot off course.

In a panic, Vishnu fired an arrow only for it to fly straight past the left hand.

Thankfully Jayden managed to swiftly lean to the right to avoid the hazardous laser.

"I'm okay!" Jayden called out!

A sigh of relief left Cecilia's lips while Vishnu…

_I almost doomed everyone…._

Vishnu's breathing was turning into hyperventilating. Everyone was counting on her. And if she messed up, her failure would lead to so many deaths. Her mind continued to delve deeper into the what-ifs on her poor performance. Every end conclusion was the plan failing and the academy destroyed.

All because she was here.

"I've made a huge mistake!" Immediately the Taiwan representative broke away from their rag tag formation,

"Ms. Galaxy, what are you doing!?" Cecilia yelled. She didn't know what to make of this erratic behavior nor where it came from. Only it couldn't have picked a worse time to rear its ugly head.

"I… I DON'T KNOW!" Vishnu hugged her body as she shut her eyes tight. This was important, so why was she doing this when needed most? "I shouldn't be here, I'm just a big mistake!" She just wanted everything to stop. To go find a place to hide and curl into a ball and cry. Out of panic, she fired another energy arrow, almost hitting Jayden.

"Vishnu? Calm down Vishnu, it'll be okay." Jayden tried to reassure her.

"No, it isn't!"

"Ms. Galaxy, you have to pull yourself togeth- GAHH!"

Taking advantage of the confusion, the enemy IS had gotten into melee range with Cecilia and smacked her out of the way. One obstacle was down, now it aimed for the second. The black IS aimed its beam arm at Vishnu. The pink glow started to accumulate.

"Vishnu look out!"

Vishnu was too distraught to even hear his voice. The IS unleashed its destructive energy beam.

"MOVE!"

It felt like time had been slowed to a crawl. Vishnu was lost in herself believing she didn't deserve to be here in the first place. Then she felt herself be pushed ahead, following by feeling a massive beam of energy behind where she just was. Only it sounded like the beam had made contact something.

When Vishnu opened her eyes, her hyperventilating ceased and she couldn't muster the will to breathe. Even with the 360-degree view granted by the Infinite Startos, Vishnu didn't believe what she saw till she looked with her own eyes. Jayden's IS looked to be burned to a crisp as it continued to fall and fall.

Despite her calls for him to respond, he never did.

Water erupted as Jayden crashed into the ocean.

/-/

Back at the academy, the staff was monitoring the situation while trying to somehow shut down the energy barriers. There were no video cameras far enough from the academy to view what was going on, so the staff resorted to radar to keep tabs on what was happening with the students. On the main monitor, there were four dots representing each IS unit.

"Ms. Orimura! The radar! Something happened." Maya brought everyone's attention to the radar. Earlier it had shown four IS units on screen, now there were only three dots.

Chifuyu turned on the intercom for communications to get an update. "Sylvan, report whats going on."

The only answer Chifuyu got was static

"Galaxy, report!"

It sounded like she was hyperventilating. Unfortunately breathing rapidly didn't count as an answer.

"Alcott. Report now. Please!" There was a hint of desperation in her voice.

"I'm here Ma'am." Cecilia spoke, prompting some sighs of relief from the staff.

"What's the status of the situation?"

"Jayden… was shot down into the ocean. Vishnu also appears to be shaken from what happened."

The room was silent.

Than the silence was immedicably broken by the only man in the room slamming his fists on the controls.

"I knew this would happen. Everyone here knew this was dangerous, but you still let them go." Gelimer would kicked the chair over if it hadn't been bolted down to the floor. There was an aching feeling in his foot, but he was too angry to care.

All the other staff members in the room were silent as they watched the only male staff member in the academy call out the legendary brunhilde.

"Mr. Brighton. This is not the time for this." Chifuyu warned.

"Oh, I disagree. Now that one of our students is dead, I think it's the perfect time to point out the IS sized elephant in the room! You made unwilling children fight this battle."

Despite the accusation, Chifuyu made no change in her tone or emotion. "You didn't seem to have any complaints when Orimura or Huang were fighting."

"Because they wanted to do that." Gelimer wasn't criticizing her on having children battle, but rather the fact they were forced to fight that IS. "Those two knew the risks when they charged at that IS. But Jayden's different. He's not like the others. I've seen him pilot my IS for monthes." It was one thing to send a child into a battle, but another to send out someone who obviously didn't want to fight.

"Sylvan is a pilot and student of this school. As a personal IS unit, he will be called to put himself in harm's way should trouble come. Anyone with a personal unti would be asked the same if needed."

"I don't disagree with you on that. But he's also a child. Heck, all the IS pilots that fought that IS are children! You made children fight that thing!"

"In case you've forgotten, all out guards and IS units are locked in sealed hangars. Would you rather we do nothing while waiting for help?"

Gelimer couldn't think of a response.

"Sylvan chose to carry this out by his own will." She turned back to the screen, seeming finished with this conservation.

This time, Gelimer did have a response. "That's bull! I know Jayden and he wouldn't do anything like this. But he did, and only because you pressured him into doing so." Gelimer's fingers clenched into a fist that began to shake. You didn't give him a choice. You gave an ultimatum." Gelimer cleared his throat. "Sylvan. Lead this IS away or everyone's going to die." He said in his best Chifuyu impersonation.

Chifuyu slammed her fist on the wall to cease him from talking. "Enough. One more word about this and we'll be discussing your termination when this is over."

Gelimer bit his tongue to hold himself back. His heart telling him to speak his mind, but his brain told him to stop. His fingers curled up into a fist and looking just about ready to use it.

"STOP IT!"

Maya threw herself in-between Chifuyu and Gelimer. Things were already bad, and she didn't want them to get any worse than they already were. "Please don't do this. If you start fighting now, than all of us lose." Tears were starting to run down her cheeks.

Seeing Maya like this, both adults felt their anger begin to subside.

"We'll shelve this conversation for later." Chifuyu walked back to her station. "Right now, we have to consider what our next move will be."

The intercom hummed to life again. "Ma'am we have Jayden with us." Cecilia said. "What shall we do with him."

"Leave the corpse where it is." Chifuyu forced herself to say.

"Corpse?"

Cecilia paused.

"Ma'am. Jayden Sylvan isn't dead. You were aware of that right?" Cecilia felt the need to ask.

No one in the control room said a word. Thanks to Cecilia's poor wording and Gelimer's outburst, everyone had just assumed the worst.

"Next time, lead with that information Alcott." Chifuyu demanded.

Gelimer pushed Chifuyu aside to speak into the intercom. "You're positive about that Ms. Alcott? Let me speak to him."

"We've checked that he still has a pulse, although he's currently unconscious and his IS is out of shield energy. He appears fine otherwise though. "

Gelimer felt a huge burden fall off him. Chifuyu shoved Gelimer back to speak.

"What about the IS?"

"It's flying back to the academy, what would you have us do?"

If that IS got back to the academy, they'd be back to square one. Scratch that. Less than square one as the mainland reinforcements were now traveling in the opposite direction of the IS. So, them getting here would take even longer.

"Leave Sylvan where he is, we'll get someone to pick him up later. You and Galaxy need to keep that IS away from the island as long as you can. We'll let the mainland forces know to turn around and head back to the island." Chifuyu gave them a moment to process her orders. "And both of you. Please be safe."

"Understood." Both pilots ended the channel and resumed their duties.

Chifuyu stepped away, ushering everyone to get back to work.

"We'll resolve this discussion later." Chifuyu told Gelimer.

"That would be best."

Maya Yamada rose her hand, urging Chifuyu to come over. "Ma'am, we were able to make a minor breakthrough in the energy systems. We've regained partial control, and can terminate one of the energy shields?"

"Only one system?"

"Afraid so. Once we do so, the program will have to restart itself. Also, I should point out the other energy barriers will take in excess energy faster if we do this. What would you have us do?"

Chifuyu considered the possibilities. Whichever energy shield they terminated would allow whoever was inside to get out, either to help or evacuate. That also meant the other shields would take in energy quicker and lead to an explosion. Still, getting rid of one energy barrier was better than none. That left one question though, which energy shield did they temporary disable?

The shields to the outer arena where Huang and her brother were? The inner arena where the students were trapped, or the hangars where the staff were locked. Or would it be better to leave them as they were.

"Disable the inner arena barrier, that'll let the students escape." Chifuyu decided. As teachers, their highest priority were the students.

Gelimer coughed loudly into his arm. Then again. And again. And again.

"Is there something you'd like to point out Mr. Brighton?" Chifuyu glared.

"None of us here want to lose anybody. If we want to survive, we must deal with our energy overload crisis and the IS that's causing this. I'm not certain about this, but I think there's a way we can do both at once."

Chifuyu folded her arms. "If you have an idea, I'm willing to listen."

"I'll tell you, but I'm going to feel like the world's biggest hyprocrite." Gelimer admitted. Sometimes it was a curse to be so intelligent and beautiful. "You can't hold it against me though."

"Just spit it out already."

"Disable the arena's outer shield energy." Gelimer said.

Both Chifuyu and Maya seemed puzzled.

Maya felt the need to bring up the crucial flaw. "But the only people there are Ms. Huang and Mr. Orimura. Their IS units are too low on shield energy to fight."

"I'm aware of that. But we don't need them for fighting. The key for this problem is your brother Ms. Orimura. With his IS, we can buy solve our overloading problem."

Chifuyu's eyes widened as she picked up on what Gelimer was putting down. It sounded like it would work in theory and if it did, it would be the miracle they needed to save everyone.

"Do it Maya." Chifuyu ordered.

"But why-"

"JUST DO IT!"

The green haired teaching aide flinched and then quickly obeyed.

Gelimer ran towards the hangars while Chifuyu shouted out new orders for the staff. Now, they could be the ones taking action.

/-/

"Where the heck am I?"

Jayden had no idea where he was or what he was doing here. He was pretty sure he was out in the middle of the ocean last time he checked. And this place wasn't an ocean.

It looked like an outer forest clearing. Large trees seemed to cover the outer edges of the place, essentially locking him in what looked like a circular prison. A huge lake was also in front of him, seeming to stretch on beyond the horizon. The only place of interest Jayden could see was an old log cabin near the edge of the lake.

The grass gave way beneath him as he walked towards the unfamiliar cabin. It seemed to have been there for quite some time with the scratches and chipping on it. Jayden was able to make out a human shape sitting near the edge.

"Hey!" Jayden called out. Whoever that was didn't respond. Maybe they couldn't hear him?

The floorboard below creaked as he stepped up the stairs. The wood of the cabin looked old but well-polished and the wooden railings were missing a few pieces. Other than that, it looked like a well-made structure.

On closer inspection, the person looked to be a girl, probably in her late teens. She wore a familiar looking lab coat that covered her body while a nice-looking sun straw hat sat on her head to partially cover her long white hair.

"Hey!" Jayden walked across the deck over to her. "Hi there. Think you can tell me where I am?"

The girl reeled in her line, inspecting the empty hook before giving it another cast back into the lake.

"Uh? Hello?"

She scratched an itch on her nose.

"HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

The girl gripped her rod even tighter.

Wait a minute. Waking up after a fatal attack. In an unknown location. And no seemed to hear or respond to you. Jayden's eyes widened. This could only mean one thing…

"Oh god! I'm dead!" Jayden gripped his face in realization. Now it all made sense. He'd gotten killed fighting that IS and now he was sent to another world. Was this supposed to be heaven, he thought it was supposed to be more angelic like!

So many things he wanted to do! Go to outer space, kiss a girl, get married, break a world record. Jayden crouched into a ball; he was on the verge of killing over. Was it possible to die again if you were already dead.

"Ugh. You're not dead you idiot." The girl through her . "Though you may as well be."

That snapped Jayden out of his mental dilemma. "Wait! So, you can hear me."

"Unfortunately." She said in annoyance.

Well at least he wasn't dead. One question down, a few more to go.

"So why am I here and where exactly is here?" Jayden asked.

"Think back to what you did, and it should be obvious." The girl answered.

Jayden recalled everything he could from today. Starting with the invading IS and ending with himself pushing Vishnu out of harms way and putting himself into it. Jayden clapped his hands in realization.

"I'm dreaming! I got knocked out from that IS's attack and I'm currently unconscious, dreaming up this entire place." Jayden deduced, seeming quite smug for figuring it out. He never imagined lucid dreaming would make things seem this realistic.

The girl rolled her eyes and reached back for her fishing rod. "Sure, let's go with that."

Jayden sighed in relief, taking a seat in one of the wooden chairs. "At least everyone should be okay."

"What makes you say that?"

"Now that I'm out of the picture, that IS will the academy alone." Jayden concluded. With no more male pilots to fight, it wouldn't have reason to stick around. He closed his eyes and leaned back to get comfy.

"Wrong."

"Come again?"

She turned to face him, revealing herself to have what looked like lab goggles around her neck. "Just because that IS unit took you out doesn't mean it's going to stop. I looked through the IS core network to look at its programming. From what I saw, it's searching for male opponents to gather data on their battle style and IS units."

That would explain why it prioritized fighting Ichika and Jayden over everyone else so far.

"The IS is currently on route back to the Academy. Presumably to look for more males to get data on."

"What about Cecilia and Vishnu?"

"After making sure you were alive, they placed you on nearby rocks so you didn't drown, the pilots of Blue Tears and Durga Singh than pursued the IS."

If that IS got back to the Academy, it would cause all the energy barriers to overload again. Sure, Vishnu and Cecilia were amazing pilots, but all of them had struggled against that monster. Plus something was wrong with Vishnu.

"You so called 'sacrifice' only made things worse. Had you let the pilot of Durga Smith get shot down, you could've continued to lead the IS away from the island. But instead you chose to be a big hero and save her. Your so-called bravery was nothing more than stupidity." Finished with her explanation, the girl resumed fishing.

For a short while, Jayden couldn't do anything but stare with his mouth agape. All he wanted to do was try to save everyone. To be brave like his fellow peers had been doing. Did that mentality end up ruining up everything? Sure, this was just his imagination talking, but why did it feel so real?

"I… I… didn't realize…"

"Of course, you didn't. You didn't think it through and ended up making it worse." The girl commented.

"Then I have to go help them! "

"Irrelevant. With your strength, whether you assist or not won't make a difference."

"You don't know anything about me." Jayden defended.

"I know you much more than you think I do. Are you aware of all the settings in your IS, how to perform aerial maneuvers at high speed when you have less than seconds to think? And don't get me started on your lack of weaponry." The girl gave glared at Jayden as though she were looking right through him. "So, I'll say it again. Whether you go or not doesn't make a difference."

Jayden was silent. He wanted to argue that she was wrong, but that was hard to do when your opponent was correct. Still he knew everyone was probably doing all they could to fight that IS. Like Cecilia, even though her attacks weren't effective, she still fought to protect others. Heck Houki had come to give her support even without an IS unit.

"I'm going back out there, even if all I do is make things a little easier for everyone. It's still something..."

She slammed her fist on the deck. "Did you not hear me? With your level of strength, you won't make a difference." Was the boy deaf? "Do you think you can contribute as much as your fellow pilots can!?"

"No."

The girl paused, not expecting that answer.

"I get it. I'm not as strong as everyone else. Ichika. Lingyin. Vishnu… Cecilia." That last name sounded a bit harder to say. "They're the ones with incredible machines who can do amazing things. Shoot from insanely long distances, fire invisible blasts, an insanely powerful sword, and knew what other abilities Jayden would see with future IS units. Meanwhile all he could do was hold out a shield and try to block damage. Heck, I'm literally a meat shield for the others."

The girl folded her arms. This seemed like a mix of half brave and half stupid.

"You are aware your safety is not guaranteed if you go fight that IS unit."

"Trust me, I know I'm probably almost certainly definitely going to die, but I'd be okay with that if everyone else gets to live..." This time Jayden answered with no hesitation.

For a moment, Jayden reminded the girl of her partner. That defiantly sounded like something he'd say.

"I see…" The girl cupped her chin in thought. "Do you really wish to help even at the cost of your health?"

This time Jayden did hesitate.

Many people would say they'd die for something, but how many would stick to those words when action needed to be taken? With his legs trembling and taking a large gulp Jayden gave his answer.

"Yes."

The girl sighed. For just a moment, she thought he looked like someone else. "If you're that serious on trying again, you should at least have a fighting chance. No choice then, I'll give you more power."

"What? You can do that? How?"

"I have neither the time nor crayons to explain it you."

"Okay okay… geez. What do I have to do?"

She let go of her fishing rod, letting it dematerialize into what seemed like shards of light before walking up to Jayden.

"It's not what you have to do. It's what '_I_' have to do."

She reluctantly placed her hand on his chest. Jayden could feel some sort of warm sensation enter his body as it spread around him. He wasn't sure what was going on, but something was happening.

"You may feel slightly warm and sleepy, but that's natural." A white aura passed from hand onto Jayden's chest that began to swirl around his body. Slowly at first them increasing in size and speed. He wasn't entirely sure what she was doing, but Jayden could feel his eyes getting heavier

"I'm going to be frank with you. I hate you. Your weak, stupid, a coward, and overall, the worse pilot I've ever seen. Maybe there's a reason my partner is letting you use me, but if there is then I don't see it."

"I see you're still trying to kill my confidence." Jayden whined.

After what he'd put her through, she felt it was only fair to even things out. Every time Jayden looked bad, he made her look bad as well. Although, his idiotic charm was amusing at times

"Then again… since you're committed to doing this, I suppose I should coward off the list.

"Nah, keep it on there. I want to do this, and I'm terrified of that IS." The fact his knees were shaking was proof.

"So why do it?"

"I hate myself for making me go fight that thing, but I'd hate myself even more if I just did nothing while everyone risked their lives. If everyone can be happy, then I'll be happy."

The girl sighed. She couldn't turn back now.

"I've been holding off on giving you more power because I don't recognize you as my partner. And I still don't. But I don't want the other male pilot to get hurt."

"You mean Ichika?"

The girl paused for a few moments. "Yes… Anyway, you'd better take the IS unit down so it can find peace and save your friends."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure everyone ends up okay. Thanks for doing this… Huh. I never asked for you name." Jayden felt a bit embarrassed for not asking a simple question up until now. Probably should've been higher on the list compared to 'where am I?' and 'Am I dead?'

"You already know my name." The girl answered. And while he was here, she needed to make one more thing with him clear. "And you better start using my real name. if you call me Nova Union one more time, I'm dropping you in the middle of the ocean."

That was the last thing Jayden heard before his eyes got too heavy as his consciousness slipped.

/-/

Things seemed to be at their worst. Still that didn't stop the situation from spiraling even further downwards.

Cecilia fired as rapidly as her starlight rifle allowed at the returning IS. By her side was Vishnu who added her energy arrows to the assault. Though most of her shots were missing their mark and pierced into the ocean below. Despite their efforts, the black IS continued to power through their long-range shots.

It was like a juggernaut; nothing was stopping it.

As seen by Ichika's and Rin's battle, the best way to fight this IS was with physical force. Something Cecilia regretted to admit she lacked. Blue Tears was most effective at long range to snipe opponents from afar while keeping them at a distance with her bit drones.

Vishnu's IS, Durga Singh, used a bow and arrows as its primary weapon while appearing to be made for close range combat as she showed earlier. Though ever since Jayden was taken out, she had only been attacking from afar with energy arrows.

"Ms. Galaxy, your IS Durga Singh has close range combat capabilities. Can you engage it to buy us a little more time? I'll give you covering fire."

Vishnu didn't respond. Ever since Jayden was hit by the laser, she hadn't said a word.

"Alcott. Report in. What's your status?" Ms. Orimura was on the broadcast communication line, though now she was sounding more tense than before.

"We're continuing to try to hold off the IS, but we'll be back qt the Academy soon."

"What about Ms. Galaxy? What's her condition?" Chifuyu asked.

Cecilia glanced over at her partner. If she had to use a word to describe how Vishnu looked, she'd pick broken. From what Cecilia could tell, Vishnu's eyes looked lifeless and her body was moving was the bare minimum amount of energy. "She's not doing well."

"Do whatever you can to stall that IS. Reinforcements are on the way from the meeting point." Chifuyu ordered.

"Roger!"

That was easier said than done.

The main weapon of Blue Tears were the drones, the laser rifle was an equalizer. An additional tool to assist her in combat. And yet neither of these were doing much good.

A laser beam shot out from the IS's right palm, hitting Cecilia's sixth drone. She cursed as she watched what was left of the drone as it fell onto the docks. That was the last of her drones, reducing her primary weapon to nothing but scrap metal.

Now desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Ms. Galaxy, I'm going to engage in close combat. I want you to cover me."

That finally prompted a response from the broken girl. "W-what!?"

The gun in Cecilia's hand turned into light particles, and then she deployed a new close-range weapon. However, the glow in her hand couldn't shape itself as it floated around in the air despite Cecilia's concentration.

"Damn it! Interceptor!"

The light formed into a small combat knife, Cecilia's second equalizer. She reluctantly had to shout out her weapons name in order to summon it. For a representative candidate like Cecilia to deploy her weapon through the name calling method, she felt humiliated.

The knife looked to be nothing more than an ordinary combat knife. While she never used this weapon in combat as she preferred to always keep herself at a distance, it was her best option now.

"I'm going in. Cover me!"

Gripping her combat knife, Cecilia charged into close range. Dodging a laser in the process she braced herself, getting ready to attack. Once in position she slashed across the IS's chest piece. Attempting the attack again, she winded up for another slash only for the IS to grab her hand. Completely engulfing Blue Tear's hand in its own.

Despite her resistance Cecilia she couldn't pull herself free. The black IS threw Cecilia down to the mainland below, making Blue Tears slam onto the gravel and bounced across it a few feet. When she got her bearings back, Cecilia could see the IS's palm glowing pink and pointed right at her.

"Cecilia!" Vishnu cried out.

The blond pilot held up her arms to try to defend against this onslaught. Closing her eyes so she wouldn't see it coming.

She could feel the impact of the blast but not the blast itself.

"Hanging in there, Cecilia?"

Cecilia's eyes opened when she heard the familiar and irritating voice.

"J-Jayden! You're here!?"

Sure, enough the pilot in the IS unit in front of her was Jayden. The boy she swore she left out in the ocean was now here and appeared to have protected her from that last blast.

Not only was he still standing but his IS was looking quite different.

Once a dull green, now it was a much shiner pallet of green, similar to the color of an emerald with splashes of silver being used as a highlight. There seemed to be more armor on the IS, especially around the legs and arms, reminding Cecilia of a knight in shining armor. Lastly the buckler shield seemed a bit larger and rounder in size, similar to a heater shield used by knights in medieval times.

Having an IS undergo such changes in a short amount of time, there was only one explanation. A first shift.

"Jayden is that really you!?" Vishnu didn't believe what her eyes showed. "I'm so sorry for what I did! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Vishnu, now isn't really the time for this."

Vishnu reluctantly nodded, though the look on her face made Jayden feel guilty.

The comm lines came to life, and this time it was Gelimer on the line. "Jayden! How did you regain consciousness?" Gelimer asked.

"No idea." Jayden shrugged. "I just woke up and my IS looked different, than I. We need to kill this thing and do it fast." Jayden gripped his glowing shield, looking at the IS which was currently floating mid-air. As though waiting for him to make a move. "So, what are we supposed to do? Try leading it away again? It still seems focused on me."

"Considering how well the last run away went, you may be better off just stalling it until reinforcements arrive." Gelimer suggested.

Stalling sounded like a good idea, but the black IS seemed disagree, preferring to fight now. Tired of waiting, the black IS barreled forward like the juggernaut it was at Jayden.

The IS pulled its arm back, looking to swing with a fist. Out of fear, Jayden slammed his shield to match the IS's blow. On when the two loads of metal collided did Jayden's shield glow white and expelled a large amount of energy, forcing the IS to stagger back as it tried to keep its balance.

Jayden's blow had sent the IS staggering back. Jayden looked just as surprised as everyone else.

"How did you do that?" Cecilia asked.

Jayden looked at his now non-glowing shield and nodded in understanding. "I have no idea."

Whatever it was, it had managed to inflect damage onto the IS. "Are you able to do that again?"

"Pretty sure I can." Now that he had a way to fight back, Jayden was feeling much more confident. 'Back me up Cecilia."

"Are you sure you can handle it in close combat?" Cecilia asked. "Do you even know the capabilities of your IS unit now?"

Jayden made an uncertain noise from his mouth. He'd skimmed the specs of his IS unit on the way back to the academy, so he wasn't completely blind. Still he knew less about his upgraded IS than he probably should've have. Jayden flew on to battle that thing mano a mano.

"Don't just rush it you idiot!" Cecilia warned!

Jayden rushed on ahead, only focusing on the black IS unit. He ducked out of the way as the IS swung at him.

Jayden struck the unit with his shield using all the strength he had, only for it to seemingly bounce off the heavily armored unit. Grabbing the waist of Jayden's IS unit, it tossed him away. Sending Jayden into a nearby tree bring down said tree along with him.

"Are you all right?" Cecilia provided covering fire to all Jayden to escape.

"I'm okay…" He glanced over at his shield for a second. What the heck had happened? The first time he struck that IS, he sent it back. Now he did next to nothing. Was this some sort of bug with his new IS?

Even with three against one, the IS was still winning. None of them were really surprised by this. Cecilia provided long range fire as her starlight rifle was the only weapon remaining. Vishnu despite her close-range capabilities still refused to use the and stuck to her bow and arrows to attack. So, the task of melee damage fell to Jayden who still wasn't completely sure how this new shield worked.

The only advantage they did have by outnumber the IS was that if one of them got cornered or was in trouble, the other two could come to his/her aid. Even so, the battle wasn't going well.

"Arghh!" Vishnu was slapped away and forced to the ground. Forcing Jayden to rush in and draw its attention. Trying his best to fight by striking with his shield as Cecilia snuck in shots at its back while it fought with Jayden.

"We're not getting anywhere." Cecilia yelled. Taking a shot at its leg.

"The IS smacked Jayden away, sending him somersaulting through the air until he managed to stabilize himself before he hit a building.

Vishnu looked over to make sure he was okay, though a glimmer on him drew her eyes.

"Jayden! Your shield is glowing again!" Vishnu pointed out. The center emblem on Jayden's shield was glowing like when Jayden attacked it the first time.

He examined his shield. All he'd done since the last time he hit it was fight and block whatever that IS threw at him. All those lasers, smacks, and punches to his shield. The gears turned in Jayden's head.

"I'm not a hundred percent on this, but I think this shield here absorbs energy or force or something when it takes attacks, then I can hit back with all the energy I've stored up."

It sounded simple on execution. Block attacks, than strike back with all the force you stored up. He wasn't sure how it worked, but it did it like he thought it did than it could be a very powerful weapon.

Boom

An explosion an occurred at the back of the IS cut Cecilia off, which was followed by a few more. In the distance was Rin in her Shenlong unit, armed with her scimitars, and she looked like she wanted some payback.

"Lingyin!" Jayden had never been so happy to see her.

"Are you guys all okay?" A male voice asked.

"Ichika!"

Everyone got excited hearing his voice. The excitement vanished just as fast as it came when they realized he was nowhere nearby. It must have come from the communication lines.

"Ichika Orimura is here with me in the IS hangars." Gelimer explained. "Right he'll be of more use here than out in the field. Right now, our biggest problem is that the IS you're all fighting is amping up the energy output in the academy's energy shields as well as scrambling their controls. If nothing is done, they'll burst with energy and injure anyone in the vicinity."

"So how do we stop this? By draining the energy as fast as it's created. Thankfully Ichika's IS has just what we need to make this possible.

In laymen terms, Ichika was using his Reirayku Byakuya as a sort of energy drainer. The large energy needed to power the barrier void attack helped take away power from the over surging energy barriers. With this, none of the energy barriers were in danger of exploding.

"Gelimer, you're a mad genius." Jayden cheered.

"Tell me something I don't know. We should be able to keep the energy surge in check. But you all need to do something about the IS. Lingyin volunteered to help, despite my protests." Gelimer muttered that last part.

The pilots looked to each other for any possible ideas. The plan of 'hit it till it dies' wasn't sounding so appetizing anymore.

"Jayden, that shield of yours is able to absorb force and energy, than use it to power itself for a devastating attack. Is that correct?" Cecilia asked.

Jayden looked at his IS's shield. "I mean, I'm not exactly sure how it works, but… from what I've seen I guess that sums it up."

"Then by that logic, my starlight rifle and Ms. Galaxy's arrows should be able to be absorbed by your shield."

Jayden's eyes lit up, catching onto what Cecilia meant. "I don't see why not."

"So, we build up enough energy…"

"And with enough power, Jayden can smash that black monster in one shot." Rin finished.

"Ms. Galaxy, I know you've been performing odd lately, but can we count on you to help energize Jayden's shield?" Cecilia asked.

Vishnu took a deep breath. "Yes. I can do that much."

"All right, than you guys attack that shield to build its power. I'll buy you guys as much time as I can." Rin said. The three other pilots nodded.

Rin's impact cannons lit up and fired.

She blasted the IS right in the chest.

When the smoke cleared, The IS was still there. Now its attention was drawn to Rin.

"I'll stall it for as long as I can. You guys do what you need to." Rin flew ahead, firing her impact cannons while summoning her scimitars for battle. Meanwhile Jayden, Cecilia, and Vishnu gained some distance to conduct their plan.

Jayden held up his shield, bracing holding it up as the other girls took aim with their gun and bow. For the most part it was like target practice, and both Vishnu and Cecilia amazing at it. After a short while, Jayden's shield had an illuminous glow in the center of it. He swore he could almost feel the power it now had just holding it.

"Think this will be enough?" Jayden asked

Rin was sent crashing into the ground and breaking a few inches feet of concrete for good measure. Her IS was now out of shield energy, taking Rin out of the fight. The black IS looked a little worse for wear but otherwise seemed to have enough gas left in the tank to continue fighting. Whatever he gathered would have to do.

The plan was simple, Vishnu and Cecilia would provide covering fire and Jayden would fly in to attack it. With enough luck, this just might work.

As Jayden flew towards it, the IS took aim with its laser palms. It's arms were pointing not at Jayden but at the ground below, specifically where a certain someone with no shield energy was.

"Oh crap! Lingyin!"

Jayden immediately changed course, positioning himself in-between Rin and the IS with his shield up just as the IS fired. This time, the IS fired a continuous beam Jayden used everything he had to push back against the laser blast.

As he held back the blast, Cecilia flew over behind him. Kneeling, she picked up Rin and carried her away from the blast zone just in case.

While it did keep Rin safe, Jayden's position wasn't any better. He couldn't move without risking the last of his shield energy being blasted. He grit his teeth as he continued to hold his ground.

His shield began crackling as sparks began to fly out of the shield. While this shield could absorb energy and force of impacts, he figured there had to be a limit on it,

"I'm pinned. I need help!"

Jayden yelled his need for aid, but it didn't seem like anyone would be able to heed it.

Both Cecilia and Rin's shield energy were too low to try without a risk of real harm.

"ANYONE! PLEASE!"

He screamed as he could feel the intensity of the blast in front of him, all the while his shield continued to absorb the force of the blast. He felt like his arms were going to fall off as the IS continued outputting its dual pink laser. Plus any second now his shield was going to overload.

Past the bright lights from the lasers, he could spot an orange IS circling around the black IS. In their current position Jayden couldn't move but neither could that invading monster.

She took a vantage point directly above. Delivering another perfectly exactly drop kick she sent the IS downward, though it still managed to stay afloat. Its arms were held out to halt its descent. More importantly, Vishnu's attack caused the IS to cancel its pink laser attack.

"Vishnu?"

"DO IT NOW!" Vishnu shouted before getting flying away.

"R-Right!"

Jayden flew up till he was directly above the IS. When in position, he used everything he had to fly himself downwards, prepping his shielded arm for the attack. The sound of metal hitting energy echoed out as his shield contacted the IS's energy shield. Using all his strength he smashed his shield into the center point of the IS's back.

The energy felt much more intense than before. Probably from all the power built up from all the energy absorbed by friends and foes. The light from Jayden's shield reached its breaking point as it expanded all the force it had built up over the past few minutes. Screaming with ferocity as all his remaining adrenalin kicked in when he brought the IS and himself to the ground, making an IS sized crater.

No one spoke or moved as they waited for the dust to settle.

Down in the crater Jayden opened his eyes.

Confused, disbelieving, and just plain shocked he really did that, he'd have forgotten to breathe if his body didn't' remind him. Looking over the IS laid beneath him, Jayden watched it for any signs of life.

The black IS laid motionless

"It's down for good!" Jayden cheered. "It's dead! It's really dead!"

Rin and Cecilia high fived while Vishnu had both her arms raised in victory.

"You're completely sure it's unable to continue operating?" Gelimer asked.

Jayden leaned in for a closer look.

"I think so. It's not moving or glowing anymore… Yeah it's defin- Wait! Somethings blinking and I hear beeping. Now the beeping is getting faster and louder."

"Beeping fas- JAYDEN GET OUT OF THERE!"

"Wha-"

An explosion engulfed the IS, Jayden, and the surrounding area.

/-/

_Sometime later_

Jayden groaned as his eyes slowly opened. He rubbed his aching head he felt like he could taste purple.

Hayden managed to sit himself up right, and man did everything hurt. Like somehow every part of his body got punched, burned, twisted, and punched again all at the same time.

"You're awake. That was quicker than I expected." A familiar voice asked. Sitting in the corner of the room reading a book was Gelimer. He folded a corner of a page to mark his progress. That's when Jayden realized he himself was in a bed and the room around looked like a nursing area with the white walls, white roof, and medical supplies nearby.

"G-Gelimer? Where am I?"

"Easy there, you don't wanna move much after what you went through."

"Where are we?" Jayden asked again "And why do I smell burnt toast?"

"We're in the infirmary. Well you are, I'm just here to visit. As for the toast, I'd say that's the painkillers you're on. "

Gelimer took a seat across from the bed Jayden was laying in.

"Tell me Jayden. What's the last thing you remember?"

The boy dug through his memory to recall what had happened. "Lets see…. I was fighting that mysterious IS with Cecilia, Rin, and Vishnu, smacked it with my shield really hard, and then everything went boom." Jayden tried to emphasize by expanding his arms but stopped when it became too painful to move them.

Yeah that sounded about right. Gelimer moved his chair next to Jayden's bed to fill him in on what happened after.

"When you took out the IS's shield energy, some self-destruct protocol was activated. With you low shield energy that the IS's explosion broke through your barrier and triggered your absolute defense system. Although it seems the blast was strong enough to partially break through. Not enough to gravely injure you but you probably feel like you got roasted over an open flame."

That answered why Jayden's skin was looking a little pinkish.

"Moving on, once the IS was taken down, the energy barriers became stabilized, and we were able to regain control of the systems. The students and staff members that were locked in were about to be evacuated."

"What about the damage that IS caused? To the academy."

The man waved his hand in a so-so manner. "Not as much as you'd think. There wasn't any major property destruction, just a few chipped buildings and some holes that need filling. Nothing that can't be repaired. What's more amazing is that no one got hurt… Scratch that. One person got hurt."

That shocked Jayden into sitting up, his features wincing. "What! Who!?"

Gelimer pointed a finger at the one student who had gotten hurt.

"Oh right…"

"All in all, I think we ended this in one of the best outcomes possible. Everything should be back to normal in a few days. And your body will be fine, just stay in the nursery for the weekend and you'll be right as rain."

Jayden sighed in relief. Gelimer's answers made him feel a lot better.

All in all, things had ended pretty well for the academy. There were no serious injuries and any damage that was done was in the process of being fix.

"So, how'd you finally do it?" Gelimer asked.

Jayden seemed puzzled. "Do what?"

"Your IS. You finally managed to have it undergo a first shift." Gelimer said excitedly, "How does it feel?"

"Good, I guess. I'm relieved it happened just in time to help give that IS a beating."

Gelimer expected more excitement but chalked it up to Jayden being exhausted from the battle. "Back to my question, what did you do to make it transform?"

Jayden opened his mouth to speak but then realized that he wasn't completely sure what he did. When his mind tried to piece together how he got his IS to undergo a first shift, everything went hazy. "I think there was a lake, a log cabin, and I think you were there. Then when I woke up my IS was different."

Gelimer blinked, unsure of what to make of his answer. "I'll just assume you started hallucinating when that IS shot you down, and your IS evolved to save you."

Jayden shrugged.

"I'm surprised it took you so long to accomplish this. But better late than never I suppose. Looks like you and your IS are finally partners."

Jayden didn't know why but he felt that wasn't the case. Once again, he just shrugged.

"Figured you be more excited. Must the painkillers. By the way, I need the IS back. I want to look through its data now that it underwent a first shift. There may be some features you don't know about. Plus, I'm dying to see what my baby has in store." Gelimer's fingers twitched, itching to learn all he could about the first shift IS.

Jayden removed his ring, holding it out for him to take. "Here's Edel Gleam."

Just as he was about to take the ring, he paused. What did Jayden just call it?

"What did you just call the IS?"

"Edel Gleam." Jayden answered.

Gelimer took the IS, blinking at it and then returning his gaze to Jayden. It was the first time he'd heard him call Edel Gleam by its real name, and not that stupid Nova Union name. He'd only been in this school for a month, but Gelimer had to admit, Jayden seemed a lot more grown up now. "When'd you start growing up?"

Gelimer glanced up at the clock, he'd spent enough time here. Besides there was work to be done now. Pocketing the ring, he got out of his chair to leave.

"Wait where are you going? I still have more questions. How was that IS able to operate without a pilot? Why was it so interested in me and Ichika? Is it because we're guys who can pilot the Infinite Stratos, and if so, why can we pilot these machines when other guys can't?" There were so many questions on the boy's mind, and he couldn't even fathom an answer for most of them.

"As much as I'd love to continue this chat, I have work to get done." The male teacher made his way to the door. "Besides, I think someone else wants to speak with you." Gelimer motioned over to the door where Vishnu Isa Galaxy was poking her head out to watch . Upon realizing she'd been discovered; she pulled her head back as a _squeak_ escaped her lips.

She waited until she could no longer see the man before entering the room. Slowly making her way inside, until she got near Jayden's bed side. Her head was hung low and didn't show any signs of rising.

Jayden scratched the side of his head. Since Vishnu wasn't saying anything he decided to. "How are you-"

"I'M SO SORRY!"

Vishnu shouted at the top of her lungs, to make sure he heard her. She dropped to her hands and knees as she repeated those words like a broken record player. After what seemed like a minute of apologies, she looked up at his face with tears trailing down from her violet eyes.

"Um… there, there, Vishnu. Everything's okay." Jayden said unsure of himself. He had no experience when it came to comforting girls. Talking to them was one thing but comforting was on a level foreign to him.

"No, it isn't!" Vishnu cried. "I'm a Representative Cadet. I'm supposed to be the one doing the hard stuff and doing things right! And you're the one who got hurt protecting me." She sounded full of guilt. It was evident in her voice.

As the RC of Thailand, she was supposed to be one of the best her country had to offer for piloting their latest in IS technology. Given her performance today against that IS, she felt she didn't deserve that title. Especially seeing how admirably her fellow Representative Cadets had performed.

"I'm sure you would've done the same for me Vishnu."

"I don't think I could…"

"So…. You're a representative cadet huh? Never knew that about you."

"You never asked…" Vishnu's finger fidgeted with her uniform's sleeve.

He mentally noted the next time he'd meet a girl; he'd ask if she was an RC.

"And I don't really consider myself as a representative cadet." Vishnu added.

"But you have your own IS. That orange unit with the bow and the really strong kicks. You called it Durga Smith right?"

"Durga Singh" Vishnu corrected.

"But Cecilia seemed to know a lot about you, and she called you a Representative Cadet."

"Officially I am one. The Thailand government declared me as their RC. But I never felt so undeserving until today. I made so many blunders and mistakes that I almost got people killed. Everything was almost ruined because of me." Her eyes finally met his. "So, I've decided I'm not going to let anyone else suffer for my mistakes."

"That's great!" Jayden said.

"That's why I'm going to resign from being a representative cadet."

Jayden stared at her. "What do you mean resign? You can't just give up being an RC. Can you?" No seriously, he wasn't sure if they could legally resign from the position.

"This Is for the best. You wouldn't understand…"

"Then tell me about it so I can." He couldn't fathom why someone would want to give up being an RC.

Vishnu seemed hesitant as her legs brushed together nervously.

"Erm I mean, if you'd rather not talk about it, that's okay, too…"

She shook her green haired head. "No… After what I did… it's only fair you hear how I got to this position in the first place." Vishnu changed her position to now sitting on the floor. "you may want to grab a seat, it's kind of a long story."

Jayden resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead getting comfy in his bed.

"I never did tell you much about myself, did I?"

"Not really." Jayden remembered the times they hung out on the school rooftops. "I did most of the talking and you did the listening."

Vishnu figured it would be best to start from the beginning. "My parents passed away when I little. Around my fifth birthday."

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that." Jayden felt the urge to pat her back out of sympathy.

Vishnu continued on. "I was sent to live with my grandmother. Her name is Kamon, and she treated me like I was her own child. We'd play cards, go to the park, and do lots of fun things together. I would even do yoga with her every morning and evening. She also introduced me to the sport of archery, she told me my mother was an amazing trick shot."

"So that's where you got your passion for yoga and archery."

Vishnu nodded. She remembered seeing her grandma hit so many bullseyes. As a young girl she'd clap her hands when grandma Hamon hit the target dead center with an arrow.

"We didn't have a lot of money, but we were happy." She remembered some of her happier memories when she was younger before continuing. "In my school days I didn't have a lot of friends. I was too afraid of what people would think of me. I decided it would be easier to keep to myself than risk people not liking me. So, I would always keep to myself reading books. People ended up thinking of me as the bookworm cause of that. That all changed during our IS synch rates exam in middle school."

Around the end of the first year in middle school, first year female students would have their IS synchronization rates tested for compatibility. This was done to scout out potential future pilots.

"It was discovered that my synchronization for the IS was extremely high. My ranking was declared to be an A."

Jayden's eyebrows rose. Being born with an IS synch rating of A was rare. People weren't sure how you could be born with a higher compatibility rating that others. All that was known was the IS responded better to certain people.

"I got a lot more attention from everyone, people wanted to be friends with the girl who had hag IS compatibility, which only made my anxiety worsen. Sometime later it was announced that my country would be unveiling its latest modified IS unit. And I was one of the candidates in the running to be the Representative cadet."

"You volunteered to be a pilot?"

"More like they chose me to be a pilot. I never wanted to do it in the first place."

"If you didn't want to do it, why didn't you just decline?" Jayden asked.

Vishnu mumbled something soft enough that it couldn't be heard.

"What was that? You mumble a lot."

She mumbled again, albeit a bit louder.

"Still can't hear you."

"MONEY!" Vishnu practically shouted, then immediately turned away. She felt pathetic just admitting it out loud.

"Money?"

"My grandma worked to pay for our home and to raise me. She worked long hours at convenience stores to make sure I had everything I needed. I wanted to relieve her of some of the stress. I competed for the position to get the paycheck so grandma Hamon wouldn't have to work anymore."

He hadn't expected that from Vishnu. Forcing herself to do that for the woman who raised her was quite admirable. "So ,how'd you end up being the pilot over the other candidates?"

"Imagine my surprise when they told us that Durga Singh's main weapons were its close-range kicks and a bow and energy arrows. I felt like the IS had been made me." Vishnu recalled her time in the selection program. "Everyone else was more experienced in firearms, but I was the only one to have experience with a bow before."

"You got the IS because you were best suited to its unique attributes?"

"That's not how I see it." Vishnu slumped. "I was chosen cause no one else knew how to use the weaponry. Bow and arrows are a lot different from firing guns. If that IS had any other main weapon instead of a bow, I wouldn't be here. I only ended up as the RC though dumb luck."

Luck was a fickle thing, Jayden would know. The fact he could use an IS was due to a stroke of luck at the American IS research facility. And the killer IS was a mad stroke of bad luck.

"In the end, I was picked to be Durga Singh's pilot and thus, became Thailand's representative cadet. So, I had to attend IS Academy to show off Thailand's latest IS. That's how I ended up here."

Vishnu's life wasn't as simple as he'd thought it be. Losing her parents at a young age and forcing herself to be an RC to help her family.

"But wait, if you resign from being the RC. You won't get paid anymore. Don't you still need the money?" Jayden pointed out.

"I'll figure something out… maybe a part time job." A soft sigh slipped through her lips. "I never was good at being a pilot anyway."

"But you're a great pilot!"

"You don't have to lie for my sake." She rested her hands in her lap. "I froze in the middle of combat, and I missed so many shots today."

Jayden couldn't deny that. "You did make a lot of mistakes, but you also did some really neat things. Like when you arrived to help me and Cecilia, you were so cool. I couldn't take my eyes off you. The way you kicked that IS down to the water, that was epic! I swear, I'd have been blasted out of the sky if you didn't show up."

Vishnu shifted nervously. "I guess I did do those things…"

"And at the end, when you charged that IS to stop its lasers, you gave me just the opening I needed to nail that IS.I swear, when you aren't panicking you can do some really awesome things."

"Why not try to get past your anxiety." Jayden asked.

"It's not that simple. Anxiety isn't an issue that can be solved in an instant like changing a lightbulb. I've dealt with social anxiety all my life, and I've tried to work on it. But every I try, it doesn't work.

"Maybe I can help you?"

"No offense Jayden, I know you mean well but I don't think you know anything about dealing with anxiety." Vishnu deadpanned.

She had a good point. He jack about social anxiety. At least Jayden was smart enough to know he was too dumb to help.

"Well It doesn't have to be me. There's got to be someone who can help you in the school. I swear there's a person who you talk with to help sort out your problems."

"A counselor?" Vishnu guessed

"Yeah! I think the school has one of those. Have you tried her?"

Vishnu shook her head. "I've been… unable to bring myself there. Whenever I get close, I start thinking of talking to people and having to meet someone new. Than it spirals out of control and I end up running away. It happens with everyone."

"But you don't run away from me."

"We've hung out for so long that I've kind of become use to you.

"See! It is possible! You just have to do the same with the counselor. Then she can help you learn to overcome your anxiety. Than you can be an amazing IS pilot."

Vishnu didn't speak for a few moments, considering the idea. Working to learn to control her anxiety. Vishnu had attempted this in the past multiple times, but it always ended with the same results. A few steps forward, than eventually a few steps back to where she began. That was always when she tried on her own.

Maybe with help, she'd get a different result…

"Do you think I can do it?"

"Of course! If it's you, I know you can do it.

Despite the encouragement, Vishnu still felt unsure. Memories of failed pasted attempts came back to her, and even potential futures of her screwing up again and again. She gave no response.

"I'm not sure…"

"What if I go with you?"

"What?" Vishnu seemed confused.

"You seem a lot better with me. I mean you didn't immediately run away when Honne and her friends came to the roof when I was there. if I go with you, maybe you won't run away?" Jayden guessed.

He wanted to see her do this. The first person besides her grandmother that wanted to see her win. All that was left was for Vishnu to accept.

Vishnu shuffled about nervously. "You'd really do that for me?"

"Yeah."

"You promise you'll come with me?" She said softly.

"Once I'm better, we'll go right away!"

"You-"

"Vishnu. I promise I'll help you. And I'll say it as many times as needed."

The girl could feel her cheeks heat up. It was the first time someone had given her that level of verbal encouragement since her grandmother. She was touched. Now her violet eyes were meeting his brown ones. "T-Thank you..."

"You're welcome." Jayden offered his hand. "Now come on, you don't belong on the floor."

After a few seconds of hesitation, Vishnu locked her hand with Jayden's. It was the first time she'd ever held hands with a boy before. And it felt nice. Being taller and older, her hand was a bit bigger but something about his hand felt… nice. It was warmer than she'd expected. Even the texture of his skin was smooth. All of this was making her feel something.

If she had to describe the sensation she felt, it'd be…

"Vishnu?"

No. it didn't feel like herself. More like…

"Hey Vishnu? Everything okay." Jayden asked.

She snapped out of her thoughts, realizing she'd still been holding his hand all this time. Her face went completely red. Her legs moved her away till her back hit the wall all the while burying her hands in her face. Not to mention her body felt like it was getting hotter.

Jayden blinked several times. "So, when I get better we'll check out that school therapist?"

Vishnu managed a nod with her face still in her hers. Than she bolted out of the room as fast as they could carry her.

"I'll see you later Vishnu?" Jayden called out. Despite the awkward good-bye, he was pretty sure Vishnu and himself were closer now.

/-/

The sun was halfway set over the IS academy, bathing it in an orange glow as the ocean glistened thanks to the sun's rays. It was the kind of sight you'd see on a postcard to send to someone. The beautiful scenery marked a happy ending to what had occurred today, which some saw it to be fitting.

From the rooftops of the main building, Rin watched as the sun started to disappear ever so slowly over the horizon. After sighing and letting a sigh out of her body, she refocused on the sunset in front of her. This morning she wanted nothing more than to smash her old friend's face into the ground but now she wasn't so sure. Seeing Ichika risk his life to save everyone had reminded her why she liked him in the first place.

Now she wasn't sure what she wanted to do.

"Rin?" A familiar voice said her name.

Rin snapped awake hearing her name called. At the entrance of the rooftops was the guy she'd swore to destroy this morning.

"Ichika! How'd you find me?"

"You always go to the nearest rooftop to sulk when you're feeling down or upset. Like when you failed a test or got picked on at school, you'd always go to the rooftops so no one would see you cry." Ichika went over, taking in a view of the sunset next to Rin. For a while neither one was sure what to say next.

Eventually Ichika tried to break the ice. "I heard Jayden may be awake. We should visit him later."

"Sure…" Rin didn't even look in his direction.

"Oh, I heard the match didn't count." Ichika pointed out.

Now that got her attention. "Well what did you expect after everything that happened.?"

Because of the IS attack, all the tournaments that had planned to be held today were cancelled. Much to the dismay of the students.

"Well have they scheduled a rematch yet? We still have a score to settle."

Rin shook her head. "Forget the battle, it doesn't matter anymore. I was just upset at the time. It's okay now. And I'm sorry for if I hurt you. You don't have to apologize for what happened back in your room."

Ichika was taken aback by Rin's words. It was rare to see Rin apologize for something she did. She was the stubborn type who never said sorry until the end.

"No, I should be sorry. For everything I said and did, I shouldn't have done that. But there's something I still don't get. About over a year ago, didn't you ask me that if your cooking got better that I would eat your sweet and sour pork every day?

Rin recalled that was something along the lines of what she'd said long ago. "I did. What about it?"

"What did you mean by that? The part where you said you'd cook for me every day. Can you tell me what it means?"

"It meant…" Rin paused with her mouth open. Only now did she realize the hole she dug herself into. What reason would a woman have for cooking for a man every day? She'd do it if she was his wife! But she couldn't say that. Telling Ichika what the promise truly meant was practically a love confession! Even someone as dense as Ichika would realize it. Rin began to sweat; her heart wasn't ready for this. "Err…. Ummm…

"Was there something else to it?" Ichika asked.

"N-No! It's not about something else!" Rin hurried to think of a lie. "It's about…. You know… Ah! Like when you cook for someone every day. Your cooking improves."

"So, it was about being a better cook?"

Rin clapped her hands together. "Y-yeah! That's totally it. And that's all there is to it."

"I see. I thought it would be complicated, but I guess I was over thinking everything." Ichika rubbed the side of his head in embarrassment.

"Y-yeah, that's right! You were definitely overthinking it!" Rin laughed nervously while looking away to not show her blushing face.

With the whole issue resolved, Ichika felt a lot better. It was a huge load off of Ichika's mind to make up with Rin. Now they could hang out and be friends like they use to. And speaking of things they use to do…

"Rin, you're back in Japan, then did your family come back to? And if so, are they gonna open their store again? I loved your father's cooking; it was really great."

Ichika almost drooled remembering her family's restaurant. He'd gone their so many times when he was a kid to eat when Chifuyu was busy with work. Not to mention Mr. Huang was one hell of a cook.

"Well you see… we're no longer in business." She sounded sad.

Ichika blinked. The Huang family was out of business? How was that possible? Every time he went to eat there, the place was so lively and the food was to die for. Not to mention Rin and her parents were happy to see him when he came to eat. Which he did often when Chifuyu was working late at night. Still, he couldn't imagine a place as good as that going under.

She turned her gaze back to the glistening ocean. "I never did tell you why I went back to China did I?"

"No, you didn't. You left in the middle of summer after the second year of middle of school. It's like one day your family just packed up and left. I didn't even get a chance to say good-bye."

"That's also my fault. I didn't want you to be sad so I kept it secret. I was too afraid that you'd be mad to even try contacting you. I'm sorry." Rin looked down at the ground below as she continued. "The thing is, my parents got a divorce. That's why I returned to China and our family restaurant closed down."

"I… I didn't know that."

"Basically, my mom got custody of me and she wanted to return to China. So, I had no choice but to go with her." As women were dominant in society, in cases of children custody most courts usually ruled in favor of the mother. In fact, it wouldn't be uncommon for a woman to come out ahead over a man in civil cases. "In China during IS testing it was discovered I had a high compatibility rating with the Infinite Stratos. With that and my uncle's military connections, I was able to become China's cadet representative in a year's time."

"What about your dad?"

Rin turned away from him, feeling some pain in her heart. "I haven't seen him in a year. I'm sure he's still okay though." She turned her head back to him, forcing herself to put on a smile.

"Rin…" Ichika had never realized how complicated some families could be.

Life wasn't ever simple. And that went double for family.

Rin's family had fallen apart. Ichika didn't know why, but he felt like there was more to the story. There may have been more going on with her family, but Rin didn't look like she wanted to talk about it anymore. The Rin Ichika knew always had a smile on her face, and he wanted to put that smile back on it. A real smile.

"Hey, Rin. When are we going out again?" Ichika asked.

Rin's cheeks began to turn red. "Wha? You mean… like a da-"

"I'll get Gotanda over. He'll be stoked to see you again. It'll be just like old times having the gang back together. Oh, and his sister! You remember Ran right? Did you keep in touch with any friends from middle school? We can make it a big reunion."

Rin didn't answer. Instead she walked straight to Ichika. Before the guy could ask what was up, she rose her foot up and slammed it down on Ichika's foot.

_Hard_

"argghhhh!"

Rin walked away as Ichika hopped on one leg to clutch his now aching foot.

"I'll pass." Rin was about to leave but stopped at the door. "But seriously though, I'm really glad I get to see you again Ichika."

"Y-Yeah… Same here." The boy worked through the pain to smile.

Rin gave a cheerful smile. There was she'd been missing, the kind of smile Ichika loved to see her wear.

Ichika rubbed his aching foot as he watched Rin leave. Their reunion had a rocky start, but it seems like everything had smoothed out in the end. Now everything between him and Rin had been resolved. Ichika felt a lot better.

Everything was good.

Except for his foot. He needed to go find an ice pack.

/-/

**And thus, the Rin arc comes to close. I feel pretty satisfied with how things turn out. It felt faithful to the canon while adding in new things to keep it interesting. And we got our first archtype breaker girl to make their debut. Overall, I feel pretty good writing this.**

**Let me know what you though of this arc in the reviews.**

**Special thanks to Ironbird53 for looking over this for grammar and spelling.**

**Keep your sense of wonder and I'll see you next time.**

**Omake**

Students watched as their club president took to the front of classroom to begin the meeting.

"Everyone, thank you all for coming. I know today was a rough day with that rampaging IS. But I'm happy to see we were able to continue our club despite the long absence." Alpha Male Club president Marissa Hollybell addressed her devoted club members. Despite today's rough events she felt determined to have things proceed as normal. "And I'm so happy to see so many new and returning faces."

Marissa gazed out to one face in the far back.

"Especially you Rinko. You made so many contributions in the last meeting. So, what are you doing in the back? Come on down where you belong. Front and center!" Girls applauded Rinko as they stepped aside to make a path.

With everyone now watching, Rinko reluctantly made her way to the front. "Yeah I'm…er…" She tried to think of something to say. Rinko didn't want to sound mean but she didn't want to lie either. "I'm…. here..."

"And we're all glad you could attend. Our club wouldn't be the same without you."

"I'm sure it wouldn't be." While everyone's attention was on her, she felt the need to bring up one important detail. "Also, While I have everyone's attention, I feel I'm responsible for the well-being and safety of everyone here. If left unchecked, you guys become a danger to others and yourselves." Rinko delicately put it. She was sure everyone would be trying to bash each other's brains out at some point if she didn't step in.

Whenever Rinko had tried to report this club to a teacher, they always laughed it off. Saying there was no way a bunch of high school girls would get together just to talk about which guy is better than the other. Oh, how wrong they were. So, someone had to make sure the club didn't come to blows, and fate decided that someone would be Rinko.

Plus, she was still searching for the knitting club, and she was sure this was supposed to be the right place.

"Uh-huh. That's nice." Marissa ignored her warning, putting aside the club's itinerary.

"Everyone. I hear by call tonight's Alpha Male Club to order. When we last left off, we were unable to draw a conclusion of who was the stronger man at our school. Now that they've had more time to show off, we can see who has the upper hand."

Rinko sucked in a breath through her teeth. The madness officially began now.

"First, we consider their strengths, and today both guys proved they have what it takes to hold their own in a life or death battle, and they even secured the final hit against that invading IS unit. Before and after that IS went through a transformation. Not many guys can do that."

Not many guys could pilot an IS either. Rinko wanted to point out but kept her mouth shut.

"And I'd like to congratulate Jayden for finally managing to get his IS into a first shift." Marissa acknowledged. "Now the next time he and Ichika fight, it'll be much more interesting."

One girl rose her hand prompting Marissa to allow her to speak. "But isn't Ichika more powerful with his IS? I heard it can take down anyone in one attack?"

The club president nodded her head, hearing out her thoughts. "While that is true, you have to take in mind Jayden's shield is an incredible defensive tool. That shield absorbed so many attacks and never broke. Were not sure what would happen is Ichika's sword met Jayden's shield in battle."

Come to think of it, this was quite similar to an age-old question. What happens when an unstoppable force (Ichika) met an impenetrable object (Jayden)? Maybe that question would be answered if they did combat.

"Why don't we move onto another category?" Marissa suggested. "Lets talk about the women they've managed to attract."

Girls in the audience squealed. This was the moment they'd been waiting for. After all, love lives made for great gossip.

Rinko's head slumped onto her hand. According to Marissa's standards the alpha male also had to be able to seduce woman as easily as they could breathe.

"Now we're to go over the latest women our male pilots have been able to attract with their manly charms. And yawl thankful for what I'm about to tell you, it took a lot of time and effort to get this information."

"Hold on." Rinko groaned. "Marissa. Please don't tell me you stalked both boys to peek on their personal lives."

"Don't be silly Rinko, I'd never do that."

That was a relief.

"I have people to do it for me."

"Dang it Marissa."

Marissa clapped her hands twice. As if on cue, two girls emerged from out the classroom's closet. It was the same girls from last time who were once again dressed like ninjas with outfits you'd find at a Halloween costume store. The only way to tell them apart was that one was wearing an orange scarf and the other had a pink scarf.

"Greetings fellow club members, my name is Kat." The orange scarfed ninja greeted.

"And my you may call me Anna." The pink scarfed ninja gave a polite bow. "We surveyed the guys whenever we could Ms. Hollybell."

"Our reports and photos are in these folders." Kat handed over their findings to the club president.

"Let's check our first girl. And isn't this a surprise, it's Cecilia Alcott from class 1-1. Not only is she's England's cadet representative, but she's also the heir to hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Alcott fortune. Though it seems the only thing she's spending is time with Ichika."

"But didn't Cecilia hate him?" One girl from the crowd called out.

"Yeah, she's the whole reason class 1-1 had that class representative tournament."

"Based on what I'm reading, it's defiantly possible that Cecilia seems to have fallen for Ichika. Not sure how but he managed to win her over. Looks like the millionaire has her eyes on the potential alpha male."

Rinko tilted her head. Didn't she say Cecilia was worth just hundreds of thousands?

"Also, the report mentions something about Cecilia's drill like hair curls spinning rapidly, what's the deal with that?" Marissa questioned.

"I have reason to believe that when Ms. Alcott's mood is pure anger and fury, the drills of her hair will spin rapidly. Truly, a horrifying sight. Kat explained.

Marissa simply shrugged her shoulders. If they reported it, it must've been true.

"Well seems like Ichika managed to buy the heart of the British billionaire." Marissa put up the photo of the blond whose wealth was ever-increasing on the Ichika section of the board. She then opened the next folder which held a picture of Vishnu.

"The girl we kept tabs on was Vishnu Isa Galaxy from class 1-3." Kat pointed Marissa over to the second folder. "We couldn't find out much about her, other than her being Thailand's representative cadet. Kat looked over to her fellow companion. "We're you able to find anything about her Anna?"

The pink scarfed ninja shook her head. "When I tried to talk to her, she would always speak too quietly. Whenever I tried pressing for more info, she'd end up running away while yelling 'I'm sorry!". After eight tries I called it quits."

"You get an A for effort Anna, but it can't be helped. Just wish we had more to go on though."

"But I did get one juicy piece of gossip! I witnessed Jayden and Vishnu…." She paused for overly dramatic effect. "Holding hands!"

Around the room girls gasped at the sheer audacity of what they'd done.

"Holding hands!"

"No way!"

"That's so indecent!"

"How lewd!"

One girl in the back had fainted from just hearing the _indecent_ act.

"Oh my!" Marissa slightly pulled out her shirt collar as she fanned herself with the folder to keep cool. Holding hands! That was like the eighth lewdest thing a person could do! She'd underestimated Jayden, a mistake she wouldn't make twice. "Never realized Jayden was such a Casanova. Don't underestimate a potential alpha male ladies."

The picture of Vishnu was added under Jayden's side. The score count now even at 2 – 2. Marissa opened the final folder.

"Says here the last girl is Lingyin Huang. The representative cadet of China. She's said to be another of Ichika's childhood friend." Marissa summarized.

"Based on what Anna and I witnessed she's quite spunky and energetic, though quick to anger. Not to mention she boasts that her sweet and sour pork is the best. Although we're not sure if she has the ability to cook anything other than sweet and sour pork."

Marissa put a hand on her chin, appearing to be in deep thought. As good as a great dish could be, if you had it every day, you'd be bound to get sick of it sooner or later.

"So, in short She's Ichika's childhood friend who said to have a crush on him, is prone to bursts of anger, had to move away due to circumstances beyond her control, and is now trying to win over her longtime crush." Kat summarized.

Rinko tilted her head. Did Kat just describe Houki Shinonono or Lingyin Huang?

"Seems like destiny saw it fit to reunite these childhood friends. Good luck Ms. Huang." Marissa put the picture on the Ichika side, underneath the Houki and Cecilia photos. Now the number of girls favored Ichika 3-2.

"Wait a second, isn't it weird that all these girls are representative cadets of countries?" Rinko pointed out. Oh god. She just realized she herself was getting into the discussion. Bad Rinko. Bad!

"Now that you mention it, every girl we went over today is an RC for a country. Looks like powerful women are attracted to the alpha male." Marissa concluded. "But currently Ichika has more girls going for him. But Jayden is no slouch, hard to come to a decision at this point."

"But Ichika has more girls going for him. So he's got to be better!"

"That's only because he knew some of them before coming here. He had a head start while Jayden had to start from scratch. That shows Jayden is better."

Now the audience was getting in on the decision making.

"Jayden's shield looks so cool. And a good offense is a good defense!"

"Who cares about shields, swords are where it's at. Who needs defense when you've got an unstoppable offense!"

"Well taller guys are better!"

"No! Shorter guys are!"

"Guys maybe we should calm down… before you do something, you'll all regret?" Rinko pleaded.

Her plight fell on deaf ears as girls were staring each other down. These battle-hungry females were tense, waiting for someone to make the first move. Rinko's nerves shook, this was exactly what she'd feared. The girls were riled up and moments away from duking it out to determine which man was the alpha male.

Only this time Rinko wasn't sure she could stop the fighting. Fidgeting with her long black hair, she tried to think of a solution. These monsters weren't listening to her, heck the only girl they'd hear out now was…

Rinko's palm slammed into her face. Of course, it had to be her.

"Marissa! You have to stop this. We can't let them fight each other."

"Yeah…. I agree."

"Don't you care ab…. Wait what?"

"We've learned a lot about both guys, but still not enough. I know it sounds crazy but if we wait just a little bit longer, I swear we're going to see some amazing things."

Marissa folded her arms under her bust. For the sake of finding the true alpha male, the final battle couldn't begin just yet. Marissa signaled Kat and Anna to come over, and she whispered some instructions for them. Both ninjas saluted and ran into the closet in the back of the room.

The other club members looked to had divided themselves into what they referred to as 'sword supporters' and 'shield supporters'.

"Jayden!"

"Ichika!"

"Jayden!"

"Ichika!"

Both sides gathered their hastily made and weapons as they lined up among their fellow sword/shield supporters.

"Everyone! Your attention please!" Marissa called out, prompting both sides to pay attention.

Rinko was biting her fingernails. This was it, the fate of these girls laid in Marissa's words… Oh god, they were all screwed!

"I love your enthusiasm and determination to aid me in figuring out who's the true alpha male. But you guys can't fight. Not like this. Not without being dressed for combat!"

What?

"Introducing, The first line of Alpha Male style accessories!"

Marissa directed their attention to the back of the room where Kat and Anna had miraculously constructed two identical market booths filled with items and apparel that seemed centered around the themes of Jayden and Ichika.

Rinko's eye twitched. She slapped herself across the face. She did not wake up.

"Pick up an expertly made sword pin or shield pin to proudly show off who you're rooting for. But if novelty pins aren't your thing, try one of our IS Male pilot sweat bands. Featuring the colors of your favored guy. White and Blue for Orimura. Green and Silver for Sylvan."

Marissa stood on top of the desk, continuing to show off her material goods that were available for purchase.

"And todays special item are our patented Ichika and Jayden dolls!" She held up a decently made doll of Jayden and Ichika, one in each hand. "Supplies' limited, first come first serve. One per customer."

Girls stormed ahead to be first in line to purchase Alpha Male club products. No longer were they interested in fighting to answer a stupid question. Now they fought to get a better spot in line.

Rinko managed to push and shove her way through the crowd to speak with the saleswoman in charge. "Marissa what the heck do you think you're doing?"

"Stopping them from fighting by performing a sale pitch." Marissa simply answered. "And a dang good one if I do say so myself. Must have gotten it from my dad."

While Marissa patted herself on the back, Rinko was giving her the stink eye.

"What? It's just a little business."

"No. You're scamming innocent people into buying cheaply made merchandise to turn them all against each other to answer a pointless question.'"

"Okay. One. It's not pointless. Two. These products are well made and tested to appeal to their intended audience. And Three. You make what I'm doing sound awful."

"That's because it is awful!" Rinko argued.

Marissa waved her hand to try to settle Rinko down. "Look, these people want to answer the question of whose the strongest man on the island. And I'm trying to sell them cheap go-… I mean high quality merchandise to get them in the mood. Two wrongs make a right… right?"

"That's not how the saying goes at all!"

"Look, I know I'm in a somewhat moral grey area but look on the bright side." Marissa wrapped arm around Rinko's shoulder. "With everyone so busy buying, they won't have time to fight each other. Look at them, comparing their purchased goods and getting along like the friends they are. Isn't this a happy ending?"

She did have a point. At least now the girls seemed more interested in showing off their new apparel and props than they did a few minutes ago.

"Feels more bittersweet to me." Rinko grumbled. "And you only fixed a problem that you caused in the first place. Don't pat yourself on the back."

"Lighten up Rinko. Let's just enjoy the moment."

Rinko let out a sigh. This seemed more like the lesser of two evils, but the girls didn't seem to mind spending money on something they loved. If everyone was happy, than Rinko supposed this was an acceptable end to the club meeting.

"Hey everyone! You can remove the dolls clothes!" One girl figured out.

Rinko sent an angry glare Marissa's way. Said girl turned her head away while innocently whistling.

The battle to determine the alpha male rages on.

**Make sure to attend the next meeting fellow club members. Also visit their school to get all your alpha male merchandise needs. Limited time sale of Alpha Male dolls, buy 2 and get 1 free.**


	12. Infinite Fortune

**After the big battle, it's time for some rest and relaxation. Thank you all for reading this far, now to keep the story going. I'm sure you all had an awesome summer.**

**Hope you all enjoy.**

"You're looking a lot better Jayden." Ichika noted. His friend's skin returned to its original color and there were fewer bandages wrapped around him. Jayden was so thankful that so many people had come to visit. He almost resorted to studying to relieve his boredom. Not today textbooks… not today.

"And I'm feeling a lot better to." Jayden grinned. "The nurse told me I should be able to leave tomorrow."

"That's good to hear." Houki was sitting the furthest away from everyone else, specifically Ichika.

"But enough about me and my injuries how was your shopping trip?" Jayden looked over at their bags, altogether they didn't seem to have bought a whole lot.

"Our shopping trip got cut a little short." Ichika mused. "I had to wear a disguise so I wouldn't get chased by fans all over town." His disguise consisted of nothing more than a hat, sunglasses, and a scarf. While it was simple and did look a little off, it did keep people from recognizing who he was. "It worked… for a while."

"Ichika's hat fell off while he was thanking the cashier and next thing you know; we're running away from a mob of fan girls." Houki summarized.

"It wasn't a complete waste of a trip; I got some common goods to decorate my room." Cecilia opened her bag to show off.

"And I just got some new hair ribbons to keep my twin tails in check." Rin added. Grinning, she opened her bag to show off her new hair accessories. "Of course, I would've found more if _someone_ didn't blow their cover flirting." Rin swung her fist at Ichika's shoulder.

Ichika winched, rubbing his shoulder. "I was just thanking her for her service. Besides, your hair ribbons are fine. Yellow's a good color on you Rin." Ichika noted. The other girls were glaring daggers at him. "Is something the matter?"

"It's nothing." They said in union.

Jayden wasn't sure why those girls were upset. Maybe they were jealous that Lingyin had found a good deal. "Try something different next time, like a moustache! It works on TV."

Cecilia scoffed. "Of course, you'd come up with something like that.?

"Something you wanna say blondie?"

"You honestly believe wearing a mustache with your looks will make a believable disguise? Those belong on grown men, not teenage boys." She shook her head. "Somewhere in the world, a village is missing its idiot. I'll let them know I've found him."

"Oh and your just so high and mighty princess moneybags." Jayden wanted to get up and tell it to her face, but the pain stopped him." Working with you was the worst 30 minutes of my life."

"If it wasn't for me, you'd have been dead before you even got off the island."

"Yeah, you tickled that IS was great, really what we all needed." Jayden rolled his eyes."I'm pretty sure a feather duster would've been more effective than your spacelight rifle. Maybe I'll get one of those as an equalizer."

"It's a starlight rifle you half-witted nitwit."

Ichika watched as the two traded insults like school lunches in preschool. Those two could always find a way to bicker over anything. Amusing as it was to hear colorful insults, he couldn't let this go on. "You two still can't get along?" If working together to fight off a rampaging IS couldn't bring people together, Ichika wasn't sure what could. "Didn't you two work together against that invading IS unit? Can't you guys try making amends?" "Just one nice thing about each other?"

Silence remained between both parties. Eventually Cecilia was the first to open her mouth.

"Your actions back than showed you're still reckless and your skills leave much to be desired…" She said. Just as Jayden was about to open his mouth, she continued. "Although, your piloting… It wasn't half-bad. You did well back there." Cecilia forced herself to admit

Jayden blinked. Had Cecilia actually given him praise? Everyone was looking at him, waiting for his response.

"Thank you…" If she was willing to play nice, he had to as well. "The way you took command and your shooting shows you really have the skills to be a representative cadet." Jayden resisted the desire to wash his mouth out with soap.

"I worked hard to get where I am today. You can do the same if you work hard enough for it."

"Yeah, maybe."

The two locked hands in a firm handshake to commend one another on each other's performance.

"Don't get too comfy drillhead. Now that I've got my first shift, I can give you that butt kicking you totally deserve." Jayden taunted.

"Go through as many shifts as you'd like, you'll never hold a candle to me." Cecilia scoffed.

"See, I think you two are on your way to becoming good friends." Ichika smiled.

"I'm not so sure about that." Rin noted.

The two continued to gesture of shaking hands. To anyone looking it seemed like a simple handshake. If one looked closely however, they'd see their grips had tightened to the point where it was less a shake and more of a contest of strength to crush the other's hand.

At this rate someone's hand would be broken, until the door burst open.

"Hey Jayden, say goodbye to your boredom cause… are we interrupting something?" One voice said as three girls made their way inside.

Both students immediately pulled their hands apart. Cecilia made a show of cleaning her hand with a nearby napkin while Jayden tried _not_ to make a show of waving his sore fingers under the covers. How did she have such a strong grip?

Three more visitors had arrived. Honne, Yuzu, and Sayuka had come, carrying food and games they'd brought with them. Yuzu and Sayuka were wearing casual clothes while Honne was dressed in her yellow puffy fox pajamas.

"We figured you'd be tired of doing nothing, so we brought some things to take your boredom Jayden." Yuzu said.

"You guys came to! It's great to see you three again." Jayden never realized being injured made you so popular.

Honne seemed confused. "Three? Pardon us for a moment."

Honne and Sayuka left the room and some words and squeaks could be heard from outside. The girls returned with a new member in tow.

Jayden blinked. "V-Vishnu?"

The girl tried to wave but couldn't as her arms were held down to prevent fleeing, instead settling for nodding with a little smile.

"We apologized to her over what happened on the roof, she's fun to hang with." Honne said.

"Is she a friend of yours Jayden?" Houki asked.

"This is Vishnu, she's a student here in class 1-3. She's the representative cadet of Thailand; with her own personal IS unit. We were able to beat that IS thanks to her help. Couldn't have done it without her."

Vishnu's cheeks started to go red from the compliments. Now everyone's attention was directed at the Thailand representative. With so many pairs of eyes on her, Vishnu's breathing rate increased and she began to shake.

Sayuka recognized the signs. "Guys, don't stare too much. She isn't good with-"

Before she could finish, Vishnu broke free. She looked like she was about to perform her signature technique of running away. Only instead of breaking into a panic and running out the door, she broke into a panic and ran towards the window. She wrapped herself up in the hanging curtains leaving her lower half visible.

"Lots of attention…"

Ichika blinked. "Is… is she okay?"

"She doesn't seem fine but this is normal for her, Vishnu's not so good with meeting new people. Hey Vishnu… You uh… you doing all right?" Jayden looked to the curtain that devoured his green haired friend.

"I'm fine." The curtain answered. "If I think there's less people here than there actually are and keep myself calm, I should be okay."

Jayden mentally noted to go see help her get to the school counselor asap when he was discharged from the room.

"Is she always like that?" Ichika asked,

"Vishy's not very good with other people face to face." Honne answered.

"V-Vishy?" Vishnu's head emerged from the curtain; she'd never had a nickname before. At least it sounded cute.

"Let us know if you get hungry guys, we got plenty of food and games for everyone." Honne cheered.

A thumbs up peaked its way out of the curtain.

"You said you had games. Which games?" Jayden's eyes brightened. "Do you have Infinite Stratos Battle Arena 3?"

Honne dug into the game bag, Cecilia peered over her shoulder to look in. "Videogames? I heard of these things but I've never had a chance to play one."

"I never played a video game either, but I know a lot of card games." Vishnu said. Not to brag but she was a master of solitaire.

"Games… Ah! That reminds me." Ichika dug into his bag, pulling out a game shaped box. "There's this game I won in a lottery when we went shopping. But I don't have the console so I didn't know what to do with it."

One look at that box and Yuzu almost dropped the game console she was holding. "That… That game! That's IF!"

"IS?" Jayden asked.

"No. Not "S" but "F". The F stands for fortune."

"Infinite Fortune. It's a game that came out recently but it managed to gather a cult following in a short time. Plus, it's really popular with girls." Sayuka explained.

"So what kind of game is it?" Ichika asked.

"You guys still can't tell even by looking at the cover?" Yuzu held out the game box to them. On the cover featured an oddly familiar looking girl in some sort of mecha armor surrounded by oddly familiar looking boys. The unsure look on both guy's faces answered her question. "Llet's play it then. We have the console for it."

No one had any objections to it. Curiosity was peaked so the disc was inserted into the console.

"Okay. Game Start!" Ichika hit the button.

The game began as the camera zoomed onto an island that had a large variety of buildings on it. Pannign around the scenery, the camera stopped where a single girl was standing in front of a large building. She looked to be of Japanese descent with long dark blue hair tied together at the end. She wore an outfit quite similar to the usual female IS Academy uniform. The only difference being her outfit was mainly colored black instead of the usual white.

"_My name is Ichika Orino. Starting today, I'm going to be a student at IF Academy."_

Ichika blinked. This looked…. Kind of familiar.

The image on screen showed the girl to be touching some sort of IS-looking unit.

_One day, I managed to start an IF, a powerful machine that only males should be able to move. For my own protection, I was forced to enroll in this school where all the students and staff are male. I wonder what's going to happen to me._

Sweat dripped down Ichika's face. This looked extremely familiar.

"This character looks quite similar to Ichika." Rin said. The character looked practically like Ichika if he was born a girl.

"Oh yeah, Ichika. This game was in development around the time Ichika made the news." Sayuka explained. "This story is set in a gender bent reality of our current circumstances."

Ichika's jaw dropped. "So that girl is supposed to be me!" That explained why it was called IF.

On the bed, Jayden clutched his sides with laughter. "Oh man Ichika! I have to admit, they really captured you perfectly."

Houki, looked over the back of the game box. "This product is a work of fiction. This bears no resemblance to actual organizations and people. Any that seem as such are pure coincidence."

Rin sipped on a can of soda. "They can call it what they want but they're obviously ripping off Ichika's name."

"Maybe it really is a pure coincidence." Vishnu guessed.

"Is this similar to what you went through Ichika-san?" Cecilia asked.

Similar? Try exactly the same. The only difference being this Ichika was a girl. And the only excuse this was okay was that it was pure coincidence? Sure there was a chance this actually was a coincidence. The same kind of chance a person has to flip a coin 50 times and get 50 heads.

Ichika looked at the gang."Maybe we should play something else, you guys don't want to be bored watching this right?"

"I'm cool with this for now."

"I don't mind it."

"Yeah, I'm all right with this."

"I'm interested in this sub-culture of Japan."

"Yeah, I wanna see where this game goes."

Final tally. Eight yes to one no. If everyone wanted to press forward, who was he to say no? Ichika felt his palms grow sweaty. With reluctance, he pressed the controller button to move to the next box of text.

/-/

Underneath IS Academy, there is a series of tunnels and rooms that expand to as far as the academy goes on the island. This place was no rumor, as even staff confirmed the tunnels existed. However access to underneath the academy was limited to only select workers and high ranking officials in the academy. This underground area had been given the unofficial title of "The Basement".

Chifuyu looked at the object in examination. A dull, grey, almost completely destroyed IS unit. The very same IS unit that nearly destroyed the academy. The badly scorched broken IS unit

Around the IS were a few staff members who had clearance to access this area. One of those being Chifuyu's trusted friend, Maya Yamada.

"Ms Orimura. I've completed the first analysis of the rouge IS." Maya reported.

"And?"

"As we predicted it turned out to be an unmanned drone. With Mr. Brighton's signal jammer, the only plausible conclusion is this was done by the IS's AI. Although this kind of system shouldn't be possible."

While AI's have been in development for years, one that was capable of high speed decision making similar to humans shouldn't have been possible for an IS AI yet.

"And what about the core itself? Can we trace it to any countries or determine the manufacturer?"

The green haired woman shook her head. "There's an issue with that. Sylvan's last attack combined with the internal explosions located inside the IS burned out the core along with the parts so we can't determine where it was made. There's no way to thoroughly analyze it."

That also meant it was too damaged to even reverse engineer the IS.

Were you able to find any linkings to the IS?" Maya asked.

"No, nothing… not yet."

"This doesn't make any sense. There are only 467 cores in the world, and one of them was equipped to an IS we can't learn about. Which country would even try this?"

Chifuyu closed her eyes and turned away from everyone else. As much as she had hoped for this to be the work of a country or government, she had to force herself to admit this was the work of a certain someone.

Someone whom she unfortunately knew all too well.

/-/

The story of Infinite Fortune carried on with Ichika at the controller. Most of the gang weren't sure what kind of game this was supposed to be, but Yuzu kept insisting they'd see soon enough.

Ichika Orino was sitting at her desk in the classroom, and looked to be having a rough time.

"_My very first lesson… I absolutely didn't understand a thing about it." _Orino sighed. _"There's no use getting depressed, I guess. Better go find out about my room."_

Next thing she knew, an attendance clipboard bopped her blue haired head. The owner of said clipboard was a tall raven-haired man wearing a business suit. He stood with an aura of authority that you probably wouldn't live to tell if you dare crossed him.

"_Ichika._" The man spoke.

"_Chihiro-niisan!" Ichika answered._

Houki's jaw dropped. "He's gotta be based on…"

"Chifuyu." Rin finished.

Right down to his appearance, he resembled Chifuyu Orimura if she'd been a guy.

"_We have to discuss your rooming issue. Due to your sudden entry, a private room hasn't been prepared for you." _Chihiro explained. _"If you don't like the idea of sharing a room with a guy, you may stay with me at the dorm's head room. Which would you prefer?"_

A set of options appeared on the screen.

_What will Ichika Orino do?_

"_I'm fine with sharing a room."_

"_I want to share a room with nii-san"_

"Looks like we have to pick what to do." Cecilia said. Everyone turned to Ichika. Since he was holding the controller, it was up to him to decide.

"Well he seems worried about his sister sharing a room with a guy. And she'll feel more relaxed staying with family. So, to the head dorm room it is."

"NOOOOOO!"

Sayuka and Yuzu yelled, making Ichika almost drop the controller.

"Ichika! You won't be able to trigger flags with choices like that." Yuzu scolded.

"F-Flags?"

On the side, Houki, Cecilia, and Rin were brooding on what Ichika and Chifuyu's real relationship was and whether the barrier of blood bonds could be crossed. Why did he always give his sister special treatment?

"Ichika… just how close are you and your sister? I know you're blood-related but you seem…" Jayden wasn't sure what words to use. "A little too close.

"This is the game's story! Not real life!" Ichika defended. "Fine. I'll pick the other choice." The game made a sound as Ichika chose the option.

"_You don't have to give me special treatment I'll live just like everyone else." _Ichika said.

"_Ichika_." Chihiro seemed proud of his little sister.

"She's quite brave." Rin noted.

"Yeah, Ichika's such a nice girl." Honne stuffed her mouth with a cookie, looking more interesting in eating than watching.

Despite making the decision, Ichika still felt iffy. "Someone else play, I'm not sure my sanity can hold up much longer."

"Ooh! I'll do it!" Jayden snatched the controller out of Ichika's hand, he'd been itching to game for some time now.

On screen, Orino Ichika looked over her bedroom, it seemed similar to the ones at IS Academy with two beds and desks. Just another coincidence to add to the ever-growing pile.

"_So, this will be my room starting now. It looks nice. I hope I can get along with whoever my roommate is." _Ichika said.

"_Pardon me." _A man stepped out of the bathroom door, wearing pajama shorts and his dark purple short hair was all wet. Steamed escaped the bathroom indicating he'd just showered. Though the fact he was wearing nothing but a towel also gave that away.

"A new character appeared. But why is he dressed so immodestly?" Cecilia wondered.

"That's him!" Yuzu realized. "The childhood friend and kendo expert. Souji Shinonome." This Souji guy looked almost like…

"I-Is that supposed to be me!" Houki pointed her finger at Souji in panic.

"Probably." Ichika answered. Everyone else was snickering at the new Houki.

"_Ichika! It's good to see you again. If you're here that means we must be roommates. We should probably discuss our sleeping arrangements." _Souji said.

A set of options appeared on screen.

What will Ichika Orino say?

Sleep in separate beds

Sleep in the same bed.

This time Jayden was the in control of the choice.

"Relax. I've got this." Before anyone could comment, Jayden immediately selected the bottom option.

"_Let's do what we did when we were kids and share a bed. Just like old times." _Ichika Orino said with no amount of shame.

"_,,,"_ Souji was too shocked to even respond.

_Souji's happiness decreased._

"Jayden! What were you thinking?" Yuzu snatched the controller out of his hand and gave it back to Ichika. "No girl would be that shameless!"

"Hey, I know what I'm doing."

He really didn't.

"Ichika… How can you say something like that?"Houki glared.

"I-It wasn't me! It was the game!"

Yuzu looked down on Jayden like how a mother would scold her child. "You've temporarily lost your gaming privilege. Ichika, you take over for now."

"Dang it."

On the side, Cecilia was clenching the sheets of the bed pretty tightly. Something which Rin picked up on.

"Everything okay?"

"Just a thought. If they put Ms. Shinonono in this game, do you think they did the same with… you know…"

The Chinese girl now shared a look of dread with her English friend.

"They couldn't have… right?"

_A short while later_

They did.

"_It is I. Cecil Arwell. I'm the cadet representative of England. Compared to you all, I'm of a much higher status. Think of it as a priviledge that you get to be in the same class as I am. _

"_Yo Ichika! Remember me? It's me, Lianyin Huong. I haven't seen ya since middle school." _He took a bite of the pork bun in his hand. _"I'm in class 1-2. It'll be awesome to hang out again. I'll treat ya to my family's special cooking recipies."_

Two more guys made their introduction to Ichika Orino.

The first male had short blond hair and blue eyes. His uniform was quite proper with not a stitch out of place. He seemed to carry an air of nobility and an 'I'm better than you' attitude. He appeared to be from England.

The other male had brown hair and a bright yellow ascot around his neck. If one looked closely they could see wrinkles on his uniform. What stuck out the most was the half eaten meat-bun he was carrying in all his artwork.

Needless to say, Cecilia and Rin didn't take their male counterparts lying down.

"WAIT A SECOND! How come that man comes off as being so arrogant!"

"This is just making fun of Chinese people!" Rin roared."And who the hell thought he should always carry meat buns with him?"

The other girls and Jayden were giggling at their over-exaggerated counterparts. Even Houki joined in.

"But Cecilia, weren't you like this not to long ago?" Ichika brought up.

"That was at the beginning!" Cecilia looked flustered. "And I've changed. Ever since…"

"Since?"

"I-It's nothing! Forget about it please."

It was Jayden's turn again as Ichika handed off the controller. The boy happily accepted, eager to show continue venturing in this gender-bent world.

"_It's time for lunch now, I heard the food at IS Academy is really good! They have food from just about every main country."_ Ichika sat down at a table, only to realize there was another guy across from him. She couldn't figure out how she missed his bright yellow rabbit pajamas.

The guy shifted as though waking up from a slumber. _"Hey…. Hi there. My names Han'ee Natotake." _He introduced._ "Is it true you're the only girl who can use an IF? That's so cool!"_

That sleepy look on his face combined with his pinkish hair and yellow rabbit pajamas proved there was only one person he was copied from.

"Is that supposed to be me?" Honne asked.

"Afraid so." Cecilia said.

Honne's eyes were beaming bright. "I look so cool!"

It wasn't the reaction everyone expecting. At least Honne was a good sport about this.

Jayden had to admit, they pretty much nailed Honne's character. He played through the rest of Han'ee's introduction making some small talk about the classes they shared. He even offered her some snacks for later. Eventually they went their separate ways.

"_It's good to see the guys here are nice. Now to dispose of my leftovers."_ As Ichika Orino walked over to the garbage can, she bumped into someone from the side.

"_Ah. I'm sorry."_ She apologized.

The boy immediately tensed up. He had short green hair in a bob-cut style with purple eyes. His IS uniform appeared to have a brown scarf woven into it. Upon making eye contact with Ichika he ran behind the garbage can.

"_H-H-He-ello-o._" The guy halfway peaked out from behind the trashcan. "_I-I'm so s-sorry for messing u-up. I-It's okay i-if y-you hate m-me."_ He looked away from her, retreating to behind the metal trash collector. "_M-My name i-is Vishnu Cosmos."_ He eventually managed to say.

"IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE ME!?" Vishnu abandoned the safety of her curtain for a closer look at her male imposter. "Why am I like this?! This guy can barley say a word without stuttering. I don't talk like this! Why did they make him like this?" She fell to her knees in despair, prompting Rin to crouch over and place her arm around her shoulder.

"You're not alone Vishnu. They butchered both of us; with meats buns and stuttering. This is a crime against humanity. "

"Y-yeah." She picked herself up. "Yeah! I mean… My anxiety isn't that bad… right?"

"Ehhh…" Rin looked away. While she didn't know her well, based on what she'd seen so far…

The room became silent. No one had the heart to tell her. Even Jayden coughed meaningfully. Once Vishnu realized all the attention was back on her, she leaped back into the curtains. At least this time without screaming in a panic.

"Never mind…" She sounded full of disappointment. It wasn't laziness on her part, she did try to get use to people. But when things got rough her body would move on its own. She figured nothing short of tying her down would keep her from bolting.

"Let's just move on…" Ichika said to get everyone's mind off Vishnu.

"There should be one more guy as Ichika's love interest." Yuzu said. According to the box art, there were six guys on the cover. Which meant there was one guy left to go.

Back at IF Academy,

"_Excuse me, did you drop this?"_A boy was holding a handkerchief in his hand.

Ichika checked her pocket. "_It must have fallen out. Thank you for bringing it to me_."

As he returned it to her, their hands touched. Making both parties blush a little.

This boy was a bit shorter than the other guys she'd met so far, making him the same height as her. He had long brown hair with brown eyes that looked full of confidence. Heck with those facial features you could mistake him for a girl and people could understand the confusion. He seemed to be American, though for some reason he had a ring on his finger.

"_My name is Jordan Sylvin, it's nice to meet you."_

"_I'm Ichika Orino, I hope we can get along." _The two shook hands to officiate their meeting.

"That's me!" Jayden's jaw would've dropped to the floor if it were long enough. He couldn't fathom why he was one of the people the game developers ripped off to be turned into… whatever this was.

"Not so great is it to see yourself mocked huh?" Cecilia gloated.

Jayden sighed. "Okay okay, lesson learned. I'm sorry for laughing." Despite the copyright crime on screen, he still had a small smile on his face. If this was all the game had on him, he'd gotten off easy. "Though this Jordan guy isn't so bad. I can live with this"

"But…they made you a guy Jayden." Ichika pointed out

"So? I am a guy?"

"but in this game, everyone's gender has been swapped."

Only now did Jayden pick up what Ichika was putting down. Sweat rolled down his face as he realized the facts.

"So that means."

"_No no no."_

"When they made this game."

"_NO NO NO NO NO!"_

"They thought Jayden were a girl."

He said it…

The boy buried his head into his pillow. Weren't video games supposed to be fun? Honne patted his back to give him her condolences.

"You want me to take over?" Ichika asked, with concern in his voice..

Jayden pulled his head up. "No… This is nothing… I can keep going." Although he had a smile, he seemed to be in minor pain.

It was official, this game deserved to be buried under shovel ware in a discount bargain bin. Not to mention the OVER ABBUNDANCE of people they ripped off just to make this game a reality. Was there even an original thought in this game besides "Hey, let's steal and copy as much as we can!".

"W-well it looks like all the main characters have been introduced. I guess this is where the main part of the game begins." Yuzu seemed a little excited at what she thought was coming up next.

"Main part? Just what exactly is this game even about. All we've done is talk to people." Jayden asked.

"You have to make Ichika-chan fall in love with one of the guys at IF Academy." Yuzu said.

"WHAAAAAAT!?"

The entire room was taken off guard.

"Don't tell me you all didn't realize it till now?"

In order to win the game, they had to make Ichika fall in love with one of the characters based on them.

"All characters with resemblance to real life are pure coincidence my foot!" Rin tossed the game box across the room, into the trash.

"Oh, It's an event!' Honne pointed out.

On screen, Ichika was sitting at her desk with Cecil standing across from her acting smug with her arms folded.

"_Consider yourself very fortunate that I would oversee your IF special training."_ The rich boy boasted.

"_Hold on! She has already promised that I would teach her_." Souji butted in.

"_Not so fast, if it's melee help you need. I'm your guy_." Lianyin finished with a bite of his porkbun.

"_I wanna train you Orimu! It'll be fun_." Han'ee raised a long sleeved arm.

"_U-Um… I-I can-n teach y-you… I-If you w-w-want…" _Vishnu popped out from behind a corner.

"_Let me train ya, we can figure this out this IF stuff together._" Jordan said.

One by one, all the guys had arrived arguing why they should be the one to teach Ichika. Eventually they all looked to Ichika, awaiting her answer.

Who will Ichika pick to teach her?

Souji Shinonome

Cecil Arwell

Lianyin Huong

Ha'nee Natotake

Vishnu Cosmos

Jordan Sylvin

The Teacher

"It feels bad to waste everyone's kindness. Isn't there a way to pick everyone?" Ichika asked. Sadly there was no pick all option.

All of Ichika's friends seemed to be arguing about who should or shouldn't be chosen. Some wanted to be picked while others wanted their character to be left out of it. This continued on for a short while.  
Ichika sighed this was taking too long. "That's it. If these guys can't share her than no one gets her."

In an act of defiance he pushed his finger to the button. A noise was made confirming his selection, the teacher.

"WHAT!"

With a level up sound, Ichika's knowledge level was raised. A small scene played with Satou-sensei, who bered an odd resemblance to Maya Yamada, began teaching Ichika.

"Even Ms. Yamada made it into the game. Good for her." Jayden was oblivious to the death stares he was getting from around the room.

"If only getting smarter was as easy as pushing a button." Ichika said.

"Well it is a game." Honne bit into a stick of chocolate pocki.

"Jayden…"

Now the boy realized the murderous intent on him. Three of them to be exact.

"Go to the next event right now!" Houki demanded. The other girls joined in on her demand, prompting Jayden to mash the A button to speed to the next event. It was going to be a long game.

/-/

"The answer is no."

"What do you mean no?"

That was the fifth time Gelimer asked and the fifth time Chifuyu answered with a no.

"No. A negative response. To deny." Chifuyu defined.

"You know what I mean." He swore she was doing this on purpose. "Why can't I examine the rouge IS unit in the underground area?"

Chifuyu rose an eyebrow."What makes so sure we even have the IS unit down there?"

"Cause I know it didn't get up and walk off the island."

Considering so many people had been seen using elevators to go to the basement, it was a safe assumption why certain people were going down there. Plus if you had to stash a big object like an IS and keep it away from others, underground was a good place to do so.

"I will neither confirm not deny that."

"Then, let me help look into that IS unit. I know I can assist you guys. Did you skip over the "Head of IS research facility" while reading my resume?"

"Your assistance isn't required." Chifuyu replied.

"Not required? I-"

Chifuyu held out her hand to cease him. She got up form her seat, having finished her mal.

"Mr. Brighton. When you accepted the position to work here at IS Academy, it was as an assistant teacher to the first year classes. Nothing more. Nothing less. What we're doing is none of your concern.

"Considering that thing almost killed me and my star test pilot, I'd say it does concern me."

Chifuyu banged her fist on the table. Her patience had reached its limits.

"We do our jobs and you do yours. This does not concern you. End of discussion."

"But-"

"End. Of. Discussion." She emphasized each word.

Chifuyu walked away, presumable to return to her duties in the basement. Looking defeated, Gelimer took his meal to one of the back empty tables in the cafeteria. He'd been so eager to see what made that IS tick. Unfortunately, whatever was needed to be allowed access down there, he didn't have. Asking and begging like he'd just done was unbecoming of him, but right now it was his only option. And even that had failed him.

"Is this seat taken?" Before he could dig into a bite of his meal, a woman approached him. She wore a green turtle neck shirt with a white lab coat similar to what Gelimer himself wore. Her hair was brown and cut off around her shoulders. Quite attractive for a women who seemed to be in her mid forties

"Huh? Oh. Sure go-"

She sat herself down.

"Ahead…"

"Mr. Brighton, it's good to see you again. How has your weekend been?" She leaned in to talk, allowing the man to see his own reflection in her glasses.

"I've been okay. Mostly busy. How have you been Ms…" He racked his brain trying to recall who she was. He swore he'd met her multiple times but right now his memory was failing to place a name to her face. Plus she was wearing a lab coat. The greatest article of clothing one could wear. How could he forget someone with such killer fashion sense?

"Sedgwick. Olivia Sedgwick." She reintroduced.

"Right. Thank you." He mentally repeated her name so as not to forget it later.

"I overheard bits of yours and Ms. Orimura's conservation. Sorry for the eavesdropping."

"Eh, it's fine." Gelimer said. "Say. Does Ms. Orimura have something against me? She seems… angrier than usual"

Olivia shook her head. "It's not you. Ms. Orimura has some trust issues."

"Trust issues? She's the brunhilde. What does she have to be paranoid about?" Gelimer wondered.

"No idea." Olivia shrugged. "Whatever it is, it makes her difficult to put too much faith in others. That woman tends to keep her circle of friends pretty small. Although the only person I've seen her hand with is that cow of a teaching assistant."

Ah, she must mean Ms. Yamada.

"She's her only real friend. Kind of hilarious when you think about it." Olivia smirked. "but yeah, you don't get to the big stuff here unless Chifuyu gives you the ok.:

"So you're saying I have to get her to warm up to me if I wanna get anywhere here?" The white haired man asked.

"Yeah, but Ms. Orimura doesn't take too kindly to new people. She'll work with you to teach but she ain't going to trust you with anything beyond that."Olivia leaned back in her chair, recounting failed attempts to get close. "You're nothing more a co-worker you see at work to her."

The argument he and Chifuyu had while that IS invaded didn't help him either. After that argument, Gelimer noted Chifuyu seemed to act colder towards him.

"Plus you're too new here." Olivia added. "Combined with the fact you have ties to an American research facility, that's enough suspicion to believe you could potentially steal secret data from IS units or do something pretty bad."

Gelimer's shoulders slumped. "How long do you think it would take to build a reputation? Besides the one where I'm the only male employee."

Olivia waved her hand in a so-so manner. "Three to five years probably. Give or take how you perform."

Gelimer's face met the hard material of the table, making Olivia chuckle.

"Here are the facts. It's pretty much a given that the unmanned IS is down being examined in the basement. And neither of us have permission to go there."

Neither of them? His head rose up. "Wait, I get why they won't allow me down there. But don't you have seniority? You've been here for year's right?"

"I've been here a few years, yes." Olivia's chin rested on of her hands." Sadly, I'm victim of a nasty smear campaign."

"Smear campaign?"

"Long story short, a lot of IS researchers didn't like me or my methods, and spread some hurtful rumors. They weren't true. But they got repeated so many times that people began to believe there was a chance they were true. Or that at least some of them were. Thanks to those stupid lies, the higher ups would rather be safe than sorry and made sure I didn't get into the secret operations. Here I'm nothing more than a teacher."

"I'm sorry to hear your name got dragged through the mud."

Olivia rolled her eyes. That was an understament. To her, it was like mud was thrown, dumped and splattered all over her name, than forced to take a mud bath just for good measure.

"What's done is done. However, I have an idea to get us down to the basement to for a look at the rogue IS unit."

"Let me want me to vouch for you? Get them to change their minds?" The man assumed.

"Not exactly… I was thinking something… different."

The way she said it didn't inspire confidence in him.

She leaned over to Gelimer and whispered some words into his ear.

Gelimer immediately bolted up, knocking over chair in the process. Realizing the scene he just made, Gelimer apologized to everyone and grabbed his chair to sit back down.

"Are you trying to get fired? Cause I'm pretty sure talking about this is a good way to do so." He whispered. What she suggested was practically a crime if done in IS Academy.

"Hey, it's only a suggestion." Olivia said. "Besides, as smart as Ms. Orimura is, she's no IS researcher. She'll miss a lot of the finer details. The IS staff will do their best, but lets be honest, they aren't as good as me or you. Especially me."

"Still, what you're talking about is practically a crime. Actually scratch that, it _is_ a crime!"

Olivia's face turned serious. "Look. I want to be the greatest IS researcher I'm willing to do whatever it takes to do so." Olivia explained.

"Why me though? You could do this with anyone"

"I could see it in your eyes when you helped me teach class 1-3, you spoke with the same passion that I did. Not to mention you're new here. You're new, fresh, exciting, and a guy. To all these female workers here, you're a breath of fresh air." Olivia ratted off like a sales pitch.

He was passionate about the Infinite Stratos yes, having practically dedicated his life to it over the past several years. Did he regret a single day of it? Maybe a few, but he would never say what he hated doing what he did.

"I'm still not sure about this. It sounds too risky."

Olivia slammed her fist down on the table, making their meals jump an inch.

"I thought you were the type to do whatever it took to be the greatest. Are you content with just waiting for others to say you can do things? Or are you gonna flip the fricken bull by its horns and do it your way?"

Gelimer was silent.

"Well?"

The road to the best was so close to him, and Olivia represented the best way to reach it.

Gelimer swallowed, firmed his resolve, and leaned closer to her. "Hypothetically speaking, how would we even do this?"

/-/

"We've been playing this for quite a while."

Infinite Fortune had much to do despite a simple premise of trying to hook up a boy with Ichika. There were a lot of events to go through during the game. From simple holidays to training with the Infinite Fortune and studying. On some days, special events occurred such as giving chocolates on valentine's day or choosing someone to pair with on the school trip to Kyoto.

Every guy was there chance to shine as they hung out with Ichika Orino. Sometimes a person would ask specifically for their video game counterpart to be picked for the event.

Every day Ichika Orino got at least one chance to hang out with a guy, for studying, eating, hanging out, or any other reason. There were plenty of changes for a player to pick someone for Ichika Orino to hangout with.

"This game… isn't what I was expecting I admit." Houki said. When thinking of video games, Houki imagined beating up hordes of bad guys or racing in vehicles for first place. This felt more akin to reading a book.

"That's how dating games go." Honne simply said.

"At least that last boss was decent." Jayden admitted. The big tournament the game had built up, the match was interrupted by some unknown unit attacking the stadium forcing all the main characters to band together in order to defeat it. He shivered as the game reminded him of the memory.

As Jayden finished, Ichika had concluded another day in the game. The calendar moved ahead to the last day on the month. Ichika Orino looked to be walking away from IF Academy, dragging along a suitcase behind her. She seemed a little older; as though everything she went through made her more mature.

"We're at the end." Yuzu, the resident dating sim expert brought up. "This is it. If the necessary conditions have been fulfilled, Ichika should confess to the character she got along the most with."

This was it, the big payoff to everything they'd done.

Ichika gulped, advancing forward with the controller.

Houki folded her arms under her bust.

Cecilia dug her nails into her clothes anxiously..

Rin was impatiently tapping her fingers on a table.

Half of Vishnu's face peaked out from the curtain.

Honne casually munched on a cookie.

Jayden looked to be intensely praying to any god that would grant his request, and a few extra just to be safe, of _NOT_ having himself be on screen.

"This is it!" Yuzu squealed.

Everyone's eyes were glued to the screen.

"_After graduating, I ended up working at a research institute related to the Infinite Fortune." Ichika made her way into what looked like an IF research facility. "I didn't become a cadet representative unfortunately. However, not once will I ever forget all those wonderful days I spent with everyone…"_

Ichika Orino walked into the IS research institute to begin her first day on the job as the credits began to roll. A nostalgic melody played over the credits as previous pictures from the game's cut scenes came to retell the story.

The credits ended with a picture of Ichika Orino performing research on an IF Machine.

_Fin._

…

…

…

..

"EHHHHHHHHHH!?"

The room erupted in chorus of confusion and disappointment.

"Wh-what's going on?" Rin turned to Yuzu. "Didn't you say Ichika was supposed to end up with someone? What gives?"

"I guess… This is the no confession ending." Yuzu told her.

"No confession? Is that a thing in these games?" Ichika asked.

"It's possible." Yuzu reluctantly pointed out "Jayden and Ichika kept picking everyone because you all kept squabbling. So, no one was able to become the focus of the game. Because the attention was split, everyone was stuck in the friendship level. So everyone was stuck in the friend zone, the game played the 'No confession' ending."

"I get it," Ichika put his hands together. "If you don't stick to one and pursue it all the way, it'll all be for nothing. So you have to notice one person and build a relationship." Ahe nodded his head, starting to understand how these games worked.

Three glares of death were cast Ichika's way. Anyone near Ichika slowly inched away to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

"AS IF YOU HAVE ANY RIGHT TO SAY THAT!" Three certain girls shouted. Houki, Cecilia, and Rin immediately proceeded to gang up on Ichika, sending him to the floor. They lightly beat on him while openly announcing their displeasure.

At this rate, Ichika might be the one having to stay in the infirmary.

"Well it wasn't a completely horrible game." While Jayden did somewhat enjoy the game, the fact these game developers got his gender incorrect could not be forgiven. "Now I almost feel bad Ichika didn't end up with one of you girls."

"Don't act all innocent Jayden." Rin said amidst the scuffle. "Your stupid choices helped get the bad ending!"

"Yeah! You're as much to blame as Ichika!" Houki pulled on the Japanese's boys cheeks, too angry to hear his apologies.

"What? Hey! My choices were great. I chose whoever was best for the scenario. Back me up guys." He looked over to Vishnu and Honne. The only two he was 100% sure was on his side.

"Actually, I was hoping you would pick me a little less."

"I wanted you to pick me more."

Pouting, Jayden crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. Way was everyone was a critic?

/-/

_A short while later_

Sayuka looked out the window, the sun had almost finished setting. Thewhole had been spent playing Infinite Fortune. "It's getting late, we should probably get going." Honne began to gather up the left over food and unplayed games.

Yuzu removed the game disk from the console. "Don't forget your game Orino… I mean Orimura."

Ichika involuntary shuddered. "Why don't you keep that game Yuzu. I'm sure you'd have more fun with it than I will." If he went the rest of his life without ever seeing that _thing_ again, Ichika would be okay with that.

"You're the best Ichika!" She the boy a quick hug and cuddled her new gift. Yuzu, Honne, and Sayuka huddled around their new gift. The trio left, talking about trying to decide which route to go for first.

Once they left, one by one the rest of the girls said their goodbyes and made their departure. Only Jayden, Ichika, and Houki now remained. The latter two were just about to leave.

"Wait!" Jayden stopped Ichika just before he could exit."Hey Ichika, can you stay for a minute. I want to speak with you, it won't take long."

Houki went on ahead with Ichika promising to catch up once he was finished. "What's up Jayden?"

"First, I wanted to say thanks for coming to visit. It was boring staying here all alone. You all brightened my day."

"I'm glad we were able to brighten your day. We could all use a good time after that IS incident."

"That's the second thing; it's about that IS." Now seemed like a good a time as any to discuss it. "The IS unit that attacked us was heavily focused on you and me, probably because were guys." The focus of its attacks always boiled down to Jayden or Ichika, depending on who was in its vision.

Ichika nodded in agreement.

"So that got me thinking, why is that you and me are the only guys who can pilot IS units?" It was one of lives newest and biggest mysteries.

"You know, I've never really thought about it." Ichika pondered, placing a hand on his chin. While he was aware of the issue with men and IS, he never gave it much thought as to why there was a problem in the first place. It'd always been a fact of life to him. Birds flew, fish swim, and guys can't use the Infinite Stratos. As for why he could use it, Ichika could never come up with a reasonable answer.

"So, I started thinking what you and I have than others guys and… I got nothing." Jayden admitted. "Unless… do you think we're related?" Jayden and Ichika being brothers… it was a half-decent pot twist.

"I highly doubt that." Ichika deadpanned.

"Worth a shot. I don't suppose you have any theories then?"

Ichika sadly shrugged. Jayden sighed; he expected as much but still felt the courtesy to ask.

"Maybe one of the teachers could know something. Have you tried asking Mr. Brighton? You and him know each other well."

Jayden wasn't expecting Gelimer to know. Sure, the man was a genius in the field of IS. But if he knew why men couldn't use the Infinite Stratos he'd be screaming it from the rooftops and trying to have his face on the cover of every magazine. IS related or not.

"I doubt it. How am I supposed to figure out why other guys can't use an IS?"

"Don't blame yourself Jayden. A lot of people have been trying to answer that. It's not your responsibility to find out why." Ichika squeezed his shoulder. "You'd have to be a genius like Tabane Shinonono to try to figure that out."

"Yeah…"

A genius like Tabane Shinonono…

The gears in Jayden's head began to turn in perfect sync.

" That's a great idea Ichika!"

"Eh?"

"If anyone could know why men can't pilot the IS, it'd be the creator of the IS herself. Tabane Shinonono. All I have to do is ask her why other guys can't use the IS."

It sounded simple, but Ichika felt the need to point out one very tiny itsy bitsy flaw.

"Do you even know how to find Tabane Shinonono? She's been missing for years." That woman was practically number one on the most wanted list in every country. If the world couldn't find her, he highly doubted one boy could.

Jayden just smiled. "I don't need to do that; I know someone who can do it for me.A certain friend of yours that is." Jayden knew the best person to find Tabane was the girl who was related to her. "Houki Shinonono is related to Tabane, so she probably knows where she is. Or even better, how to contact her!"

Ichika made an uncertain noise as he looked away.

"Am I wrong?"

"It's not that. If anyone knows where Tabane is, it would probably be Houki. I just don't think she'll want to help you." Ichika said uncertainly. "Houki and Tabane don't really have the best sibling relationship."

"They hate each other?" Jayden asked.

"I wouldn't go as far to say hate."He waved his hand in an iffy matter. "Tabane is really fond of Houki, but Houki seems like she doesn't want anything to do with Tabane. Whenever I bring up her sister, she'd always get quiet. Then she'd change the subject." Ichika knew Houki wasn't fond of her sister, but over the years it seemed to have gotten worse. When they were kids, Ichika saw that the Shinonono sisters got along okay when he came to visit. Then ever since they reunited at IS Academy, Houki never wanted to talk about Tabane.

This put a wrench in Jayden's plans. He wasn't the brightest kid in the school, but at least he was smart enough to know he was too dumb to figure out why guys and IS units don't mix. He doubted any of the adults he knew could answer why males can't use an IS, heck they'd be rich if they knew. If Jayden wanted to learn the secret, Tabane was his best chance.

"I'm still gonna ask Houki. Worse she can do is say no."

Ichika sighed. "Just be careful. Her sister's a very touchy subject for her."

"I will. Bye Ichika, thanks again for visiting." Jayden said as Ichika turned to leave.

"See ya in class tomorrow."

Jayden sat upright, to get to Tabane; he'd have to go through Houki. So the question was, how did he ask Houki for help?

/-/

Ichika returned to his room to drop off his bags before getting dinner. As he went inside, Houki was standing there with her arms crossed.

"How long does it take to talk with someone? Seriously I'm about to starve waiting for you."

"Waiting for me? Did you not eat yet?"

"Didn't I just say that I've been waiting for you?"

She had a point. Food did taste better when eaten with others.

"Well than lets get to the cafeteria. They'll close soon if we don't hurry." Ichika said.

Houki stopped him before he could turn to leave. "H-Hold on!" She shuffled about trying to figure out how to organize what she wanted to say. "Umm… How should I say this… I…"

While Houki was busy, Ichika felt something tickle his nose. It smelled quite familiar, like when he ate at Rin's family restaurant.

"Is that food I smell?" Ichika looked past Houki to see a steaming bowl of fried rice on the table. That smell of sesame oil was starting to make his mouth water.

"W-Well… You see… I… I cooked it." Houki admitted. She motioned for Ichika to take a seat at the table.

"You made this? But it isn't Japanese." Ichika pointed out.

"Don't act so surprised! I can make many different types of food." Houki complained. "Well? What are you waiting for? Hurry up and eat it before it gets cold."

"Guess I'll dig in." He wouldn't turn down food from a friend. Ichika took a large spoonful of the fried rice.

She stared intensely as he took his first bite, awaiting any sign of emotion. Ichika chewed to taste the flavor.

…

…

…

…

…

He couldn't find it.

"It's... bland."

"What!?" Houki ripped the utensil from Ichika to take a bite of her dish. Just as Ichika said, there wasn't any taste to the fried rice. Usually this occurred when no spices or additional ingredients are added. It was like heating cooked up rice covered in sesame oil. Her smile faltered, now realizing her mistake. "You don't have to eat it if you don't want to."

Ichika stopped her before she could take the bowl away.

"I didn't say that I didn't want it did I?" Ichika took another spoonful of the meal.

"You don't have to force yourself to eat it. I know it isn't that good." Houki admitted.

"But you made this for me, right? That's why I have to eat this." Ichika said in-between spoonfuls.

Even though he couldn't taste any flavor, he could taste the feelings Houki put into this dish.

"Thank you for the meal." Ichika clapped his hands together to show his gratitude.

"D-don't get the wrong idea Ichika, I don't normally make this kind of mistakes in cooking. It was a one-time accident." Houki turned away, not wanting to show Ichika that her cheeks were turning red. "But… I wouldn't mind cooking for you again… if you asked me to."

"You don't have to do that." Ichika declined.

Houki blinked. "What?"

"I don't want to bother you Houki. Besides wouldn't it be better to just eat the in cafeteria? It'll save time." Ichika said.

The red in Houki's face turned from blushing into anger. "Are you saying you don't want to eat what I cook?"

"That's not what I meant." Ichika scratched his head. "Is something the matter Houki? You've been acting weird lately." First, she had been avoiding him during the shopping trip, and then keeping her distance when visiting Jayden, and now she was cooking unfamiliar meals. He raised a hand to try to place it on Houki's forehead only for her to smack it away.

"I'm not sick you idiot. It's just… To cook… for you every day." She wanted to try to make the same promise Rin had made but she couldn't make herself speak the words. Her emotions got the best of her and left Houki unable to speak.

Ichika had no idea what she was even talking about.

Before he could imply further, there was a knock at the door. "Excuse me. Orimura. Shinonono." It sounded like their homeroom teaching assistant, Maya Yamada. The buxom teacher let herself in.

"Is there something you need sensei?" Ichika asked.

"I'm here regarding Shinonono's room transfer. I'm here to let her know that the paperwork is filed and the arrangements have been made. You can leave right away Ms. Shinonono."

"Room transfer? You're moving out Houki?" Ichika was shocked. The girl in question didn't answer him.

"I'll also be helping you pack your things so you can move out immediately." Maya added.

"Wait what?" Houki said, seemingly caught off guard. She requested the room change but she wasn't counting on moving out this soon. "Do I really have to leave right away?" She asked Maya.

"Well, yes. I know it must be difficult and awkward for a boy and girl to share a room. Your new roommate is aware of your arrival and the paperwork is all finished."

"Ichika what do you think?" Houki waited for his answer, caring what he thought the most.

"I'll be sad to see you go, but you don't have to worry about me." Ichika smiled. "I'm pretty sure I can take care of myself even without your help".

Houki felt betrayed. Her fingers curling up into fists. Well fine, if he didn't want her here than she'd get out of his way.

"Sensei! I wanna change rooms now!" She declared.

"Y-Yeah. If you say so."

"Wants help packing your things?" Ichika offered.

"No." Houki declined.

From there, Houki and Maya began packing up the formers possessions things in silence. As she packed her things, Houki kept glancing at Ichika who was now minding his own business. No matter how much or how heavy, Houki refused to let Ichika touch any of her belongings.

Houki stood at the door carrying a small tower of boxes for one last trip. She stood there, trying one last time for him to tell her not to go. "I'm leaving now."

"Have fun with your new roommate Houki." Ichika waved goodbye.

It wasn't what she wanted to hear. "Goodbye Ichika." Houki glared one last time before heading on her way. "Enjoy the room."

"Wait!"

Houki paused.

"Goodbye Houki, thanks for putting up with me."

She slammed the door behind her.

Ichika looked over the entire room he had lived in for months. Now that Houki moved out, the room was entirely his. It felt a lot bigger now and emptier. Ichika laid down on his bed, with no one to talk with now it was a lot lonelier now.

Houki stomped her way through the halls, all the while carrying a tower of boxes. She'd let him know that they wouldn't be living together anymore, and all he did was smile and wave! Houki didn't expect much but she hoped he would've at least done something. He didn't even ask her to stay…

"Damn it, Ichika. Damn it!"

She wondered if he was happy now that she was no longer his roommate. Too busy thinking what Ichika thought, she walked straight into a wall spilling her boxes all around her.

"That was quite a fall, are you okay madam?"

Houki looked at the voice which came from a fellow female student dressed in school uniform, albeit her lower half was wearing long pants. Almost resembling the male version of the IS Academy uniform. Her eyes were the color amber while her hair was a mix between grey and white. For a second, Houki almost mistook her for a guy. Then she remembered she was just asked a question.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

The girl offered Houki a hand up, which she accepted. Once on her feet again Houki realized this girl was tall, about an inch shorter than Ichika.

"Would you like some help carrying those boxes Ms. Shinonono."

Houki paused. "H-How do you know my name?"

"You're the national kendo champion, your reputation precedes you."

This caught her off guard. She wasn't used to people knowing about her kendo accomplishments. Anytime someone recognized her, it was because she was related to a certain genius. It was nice for a change

"Mind if I lend a hand? I can't ignore a damsel in need." The white haired girl offered.

She seemed odd. But some help couldn't hurt. Both of them split the boxes and Houki led the way.

"I'm guessing you're changing rooms since you have all these boxes. Didn't you room with that Orimura guy? Finally moving out?" She asked.

"I am."

"Call it a hunch, but I'm sensing things between you two didn't work out. You two not get along? I've heard it can be rough spending time with someone if they aren't the right person."

"I suppose…"

Houki sensed this girl was trying to get awfully close to her.

"That's a shame. A girl like you deserves only the best."

Why was she so interested in her personal life? Houki kept quiet till they reached her new room.

"Thank you for your help…." Houki realized she'd never asked for her name.

"Rorentsuine Laurent di Fillney." She gave a bow. "But you may call me Rolan. Short. Sweet. And it rolls off the tongue."

"Right…" Houki felt her sweat drop, the girl was sort of odd, but she didn't seem like a bad person. As she reached for the last box, Rolan placed her hand on top of Houki's.

"What are you doing?"

Rolan smiled. It was time to bring in the advance techniques. She stepped up to Houki, making her move till her back was against the wall. Boxes once again scatted across the floor. Rolan's amber eyes were staring into Houki's purple eyes. With all the pieces in place, she slammed her hand against the wall, making a soft echo.

"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are Ms. Shinonono?" Rolan gazed further into her eyes.

"What?"

"You're quite the girl Houki. Strong, beautiful, fully stacked, not to mention connected with powerful people. You're truly a diamond. No… more like a blood red diamond. A treasure among treasures."

Houki scowled. So this was her game. She was just another one of them.

"If no guy has seen you for what you are, then it's their loss." Rolan leaned in, getting closer and closer to Houki's. But I can tell you come from an impressive family. I know someday you'll reach the levels of fame your sister is at. I wonder if even you're aware of your many talents and charms?"

Houki clenched her teeth. If she had any doubts before they were gone now.

"I think I can help you get ya where you want to be." Rolan prepped her lips for contact. "You're too special to have no one by your side." She closed her eyes and puckered her lips.

Rolan's lips made contact sooner than expected. It felt like wood. A wooden kendo sword was now in Houki's hands. She lightly tapped Rolan's forehead as a warning.

"Thank you for your help Rolan, but you're getting the wrong idea. You need to leave. Now." Houki emphasized by tapping her head yet again. "I'm not interested in people getting close to me just to get to Tabane by flattering me. Got it?"

"Flattery?" Rolan put her hands up as though surrendering while she backed away."Why I'm only speaking the truth Ms. Shinonono. Your beauty possessed me to do so."

Houki reclaimed her possessions and gave Rolan one last glare before slamming the door behind her. Despite this, the smile remained right on Rolan's face.

While most would see this as a loss, to the trained eye it was anything but. The seeds had been planted and would soon blossom into red roses. As odd as her approach was, it defiantly left a lasting impression on Shinonono. Now that they were familiar with one another, it would be easier to approach her with the ice broken.

Rolan rested her hands behind her head as she returned to her quarters. Some girls played hard to get, but she'd eventually get through to them.

"By the time I'm done with you Houki Shinonono, you'll be my 100th."

/-/

Jayden leaned back against his pillow. Given the boredom of the last few hours being alone, he tried to think of how to best ask Houki to let him speak with her sister. They were friendly with each other but not at the level of best friends. If she didn't talk about it with Ichika, her childhood friend, he doubted she'd talk with him.

"_Maybe I should try giving snacks, soften her up." _Jayden thought. Honne always appreciated it.

_Knock knock knock_

"Anyone in here?" The door immediately opened, knocking Jayden out of his thoughts.

The lights turned on, and before Jayden could answer he found himself tongue tied.

It was a girl at the door. She was wearing what he assumed was her sleeping attire. A pink nightie that was just long enough to barley be considered decent. Though it didn't help that hugged her curves quite nicely. With that somewhat see through nightie and those curves working together, he couldn't mouth a word.

There was a term for girls like her. What was it called again? Blonde bombshell?

"You must be Jayden, right?" She fiddled with her long hair, which was parted to one side.

Through willpower he managed to get sound out of his mouth. "Yes! Jayden. That is me. I am him."

She giggled, making her way over to his bed. "I finally get to meet you My name is Darcyl, I'm a third-year student here at IS Academy."

"So, what brought you here?" Jayden looked over at the clock, it was well past academy curfew, late enough to risk detention if she was caught.

"I just really wanted to meet you privately." She sat herself down on the bed, right next to where Jayden was. "I'm a big fan of yours."

"F-fan!" Jayden sheepishly rubbed his head. He'd never had a fan before.

"That's right. I wanted to say thank you for everything you did. I was trapped in the arena stands back then. You did so much to save the academy, like the big hero of it all. You we're so amazing every second of it."

"You saw us fight?"

"They streamed some of it while we were trapped in the stands."

"I mean, I only did what anyone else would do." Jayden was finding it difficult not to let all the praise spill out of his head. "I'm sure anyone would've done it if they were in my shoes. Besides, I couldn't have done it without everyone's help."

"I don't think so. Not many guys would risk their lives doing what you did, so don't brush it off like it was nothing." She leaned a little closer. "And the way you took charge at the end… so inspiring."

"Well…. You know I try..."

"You did wonderful out there." She complimented."They should name a star constellation or something after you for what you did. Tell me, will I see you compete at the school tournament in a few weeks?"

"That I can guarantee. Now that I've got my IS to undergo a first shift, I can start showing everyone what I can really do." He's show her his IS ring, but Gelimer still had that. Talk about bad timing.

Darcyl gasped. "No way! You mean to tell me you did all those things with an IS in its default mode!" She leaned closer, their faces inches away. The position slightly pressed her chest up against his arm.

Jayden's face was changing color, it was the first time a girl was getting _this_ personal with him.

"Yeah." He answered.

"You're even more incredible than I thought. Maybe you can give me some pointers one day. I'd love to learn from you." Now she was even closer. The way she leaned left a small gap in the top of her nightie, giving Jayden a little view of dangerous territory.

Like magnetic force, his eyes couldn't look away. Eventually, her eyes followed his gaze lower and lower…

She placed her hand under his chin, and lifted it up sohis brown eyes met her aqua ones. "Sorry little guy, but my eyes are up here."

Busted.

Darcyl smirked and asked, "Do they look nice?"

"W-what?"

"My breasts." Her voice sounded seductive. "What'cha think?"

She… wasn't upset… or was she? He couldn't wasn't this the part where the girl would hit the guy for staring? What was going on? Steam would've poured out of Jayden's ears if it were possible. "T-They're… nice."

"Really? What makes them nice?" Darcyl asked, fishing for compliments.

"Y-Y-you know…. They're… pretty b-big…"

Darcyl pulled away and laughed. "Guess I can't blame you since you're a guy and all. But you need to build up your tolerance little guy. You'll deal with a lot of women. Can't get that flustered when you see some skin." She peaked over at the clock. "I should be getting back to my room. Don't wanna face Ms. Orimura's wrath. I have to admit I'm not fond of most people, but I think I'll remember you."

"Well I'll definitely try to remember you." Jayden tried to say it as smooth as he could.

A devilish idea formed in her head. "Just trying? Then let me do something to keep me in your memory."

Before he could ask what, Darcyl planted her lips on Jayden's cheek. The act paralyzing him where he sat. She kept her lips there, removing them after a good 20 seconds.

"Something to remember me by." She drew back with a seductive smile. Jayden wanted to say something, but his internal systems were still in the process of rebooting. All that left his mouth was jumbled up words and noises.

Turning, she walked out the door with a sway in her hips, closing it behind her.

He touched the area were Darcyl's lips pressed; a faint touch of lipstick smudged on his fingers. Was this his reward for everything he had been through?

Now that made two hot blonds he'd scored a kiss from thanks to the IS. It was official. Even with the tough curriculum and killer IS units, IS Academy rocked!

**And with the intermission over, the next arc is ready to begin. I've been planning this out for months. **

**Review Replies**

**B123 – Thank you so much for your constant reviews, I love reading about all the details you notice. It makes me happy to hear you love my omakes. There's plenty more in store, so keep reading.**

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**Keep your sense of wonder and see you next time.**

**Omake**

**Inspired by Coeur Al'Aran**

It seemed like a normal day for Gelimer. Normal as it could be in IS Academy at least. There wasn't any unknown IS unit attacking, no destruction of school property by the students, and speaking of students they even seemed well behaved today.

So far nothing had gone wrong… yet. Until he turned up to a summons at the principal's office, and came across the headmistress of IS Academy.

He hadn't heard much about her, but apparently this woman was said to be responsible for how IS Academy became what it was today. This would be his first time meeting her.

"Hello Mrs…" Gelimer wasn't sure what he was seeing.

"Yo dog, bout time you got here. I'm glad you were able to find da place. Ya feel me?" The woman sitting behind the important desk asked. Gelimer wasn't sure if this was supposed to be the principal or a punk who stumbled her way here. The woman appeared to be of Japanese descent with short black hair. The business suit she wore clashed with her sunglasses and blingy gold chain around her neck.

"Uhhh…."

"What's da matter yo? Don't know about today's lingo?" She asked again.

"Mrs. Kutsuwagi. Please speak normally." Chifuyu sighed as she massaged her temples. Beside her were Ms. Yamada and Ms. Sedgwick who looked to be in agreement with her.

"Fine…" The principal reluctantly did as she removed her sunglasses. "Mr. Brighton, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Nadeshiko Kutsuwagi, the principal of IS academy. As one- the only male working at IS academy, I thank you for your efforts to help teach our students."

"You're… welcome?" He still wasn't sure what to make of her. "So what did you call us here for?"

The principal handed out a series of documents to everyone. Looking down at the cover letter, it was a newspaper clipping?

"Studies show that teachers are falling behind the customs, culture, and social norms of today's youth. Leading to lack of communication, misunderstandings, and no longer being seen as role models." Chifuyu read aloud as she skimmed the article. "This is about how teachers are out of touch with students?"

"Hit the nail on the head." Nadeshiko nodded. "This is a bigger issue than you think. If the students don't respect you teachers, then they won't learn anything from you all." She got up from her desk, walking over to the window of her office. Staring out to the ocean beyond the academy. "In a regular school this would just mean bad grades and playing hooky. But here, we teach students to pilot dangerous machines. One mistake may lead to injury or fatality."

"I don't see an issue when I teach the students. They always fall in line and do as told." Chifuyu said.

"Not all of us can hit a student with an attendance book when things don't go our way Ms. Orimura." Olivia scoffed.

"Practice your aim, you'll get the hang of it."

Olivia's palm slammed into her face.

"What do you want us to do Mrs. Kutsuwagi?" Maya asked. "Are you suggesting we fire ourselves and find even younger teachers to impart knowledge? Some of us aren't that much older than out students."

Olivia coughed into her sleeve.

"N-Not that there's anything wrong with being much older!" Maya quickly added.

"Regardless, you all need to become more modern in order to resonate with your students. Therefore, you must," Nadeshiko turned to them all, raising a fist in the air. "Become hip!"

"Hip?" Chifuyu repeated.

"That right, or as the kid's these days say, Riggity right dog!"

Chifuyu resisted the urge to groan.

"Now, I did some research on social media sites and chatted with some young teens and I've created a list of suggestions to help you. All within those documents you're holding." They began flipping through the pages

"You want me to rap my lessons?" Olivia flipped through the note. "Not the weirdest thing I've done."

"The hell's a Tic-Tok?" Chifuyu asked.

"Hold it! Hold it! Hold it!" Gelimer reread the words on the page for the third time just to make sure he wasn't crazy. "To connect with the teens, you want me to eat laundry detergent?"

"It makes you relatable."Nadeshiko said.

"It makes me an idiot!"

"Mine just says to open boxes and react to what's in them. Then put it on the internet." Maya pointed out.

The only man in the room glared at his female colleagues. How come they got the easy stuff while he got a brand new diet of soap?

"Don't be hatin," Nadeshiko defended. "But it's not just yo actions ya'll need to check, skippy to the back and see the change in attire for each of you."

"What's wrong with our outfits?"

"They're out of style. Old fashioned. Check what I have in mind for ya'll." Nadeshiko answered.

Everyone turned to the back of the documents.

"These clothes seem…" Maya looked down at her bosom. "Small."

Chifuyu ripped the page into tiny pieces of paper confetti.

"I'm not fond of the suggestion you made where I have to wear a baseball cap backwards and have my pants low enough to expose my underwear. I'd be arrested just for wearing this here." Gelimer said as he skimmed over the rest of the details. "The lab coat is my signature look. How else will people know what I am?"

"First off, I was here first; the lab coat look is mine! It makes me look a scientist and you like a pharmacist." Olivia shook her fist. "And second, I refuse to wear these ripped up rags."

"What I say? Don't be hatin on dese new descisions yo!"

"Ma'am, with all due respect, I don't respect this. I'm not going through with any of these idiotic ideas." Chifuyu dropped the papers onto the floor, flattening the paper even more under her foot just for good measure. The rest of the teaching staff would've done the same if they had the same rebel spirit.

"Aww come on Chifuyu, don't be a…. uhh…." Nadeshiko paused, flipping through her notes. "Look you boomer. Don't be a Karen! You gotta get yourself open to the things the fresh kids do nowadays. Why you gotta Karen up the place?"

Chifuyu looked over the modern terminology notes for translation. "What did you just call me…?"

/-/

"S-Should we help?"Gelimer asked nervously. Watching the show with Olivia and Maya standing beside him. Nadeshiko ran past them for the fourth time as Chifuyu was hot on her tail.

"I think Chifuyu's got it under control." Olivia dismissed.

"I was talking more about helping Mrs. Kutsuwagi." Gelimer sighed as he watched the angry Chifuyu chase down her target. Students stepped to the side; eyes glued to the two women running past. Either Chifuyu was playing with her food or the principal could really book it.

"Is the principal always like this?" Gelimer asked.

Maya waved her hand in a so-so manner. "Principal Kutsuwagi is a very odd woman. Some days she has amazing ideas that benefit the academy, and on other days… you get this." It was almost like the woman played hopscotch on the line between idiot and genius.

"Do it again," Chifuyu yelled angrily running past everyone for the fifth time. You could hear her shouts throughout the halls. "Call me Karen one more time. See what happens!"

**For Shizzle my Rizzle! Hope ya'll enjoyed da hippty hoppity omake!**


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